Ditto to all the above. It would be nice if they would tape segments of special events such as Canada Blooms so that some of us out here on the Prairies could see what goes on there. I know I will never get to an event like that.

And, on all the gardening shows, list the name of the plant like the Gardener's Journal and David Tarrant's show Spring do.

Some of the shows that are on are as much as 5 years old, and I've seen them at least a dozen times!!

Air the shows in Jan, Feb and March when our garden-starved minds can enjoy them....I'm too busy the rest of the months outdoors to even watch TV.(At the same time I can compare plants I see on the shows to the garden catalogues...oh gotta have that one and that one and oh for sure that one...LOL)

Betty

I don't have cable, so I don't get any of them. My question though is: how much would the American gardening shows apply to our conditions? I know some of it would, but most of us wouldn't get much out of shows geared for the Sunbelt.

For all of those times, bear in mind that those are eastern times. For all of us on MDT or PDT, it is another 2-3 hrs. earlier. Can't tell you how many times I've fallen asleep on couch trying to watch a gardening show at 3:30 in the morning. How fun!

Shauna

Janet, they do apply. Not everything they show are california or florida based gardens. We do share quite a bit of garden styles with Boston, Washington, Seattle, Pennsylvannia, Maryland..etc. Then there are garden designs. I have to site J. Allen Smith who's a Southerner and who's concepts are right on the money. The same concepts on design are applicable up here to the cold north. Recently a very impressive garden of Thomas Hobb in Vancouver was featured in the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living. He uses many plants that are very Southern, such as palms and tropical exotics. He is just as influenced by southtern gardens as well.

PS - anyone noticed that Kathy Ringwald has mentioned Gardenweb in today's Toronto Star and discusses winter sowing.

Ianna

Have to agree with everyone. I hate the fact that the garden shows are on in the wee hours of the morning. I'm at work then! I don't think I have actually seen a gardening show on HGTV in about 2 years. I too wish they would show the programs atarting in January. I don't want to watch garden shows in the summer. I am out in my garden then and already have planned what I want to do for the summer so anything I might see on TV would have to be filed away for the next year and by then I would have forgotten about them!

I just wish they would bring back more of the educational shows. Sure it's great to see what a bazillion dollars and an army of workers could get you but for the rest of us, dvelop some shows where we might apply something to our own yards.

I used to like some of the home decorating shows (loved the designer guys and actually learned a few things from Steven's DIY prjest each episode, room service, debbie travis etc) and I used to look forward to the Sunday night specials at 8 or 9pm. Now it feels like one reality game show after the other (oh wait, that's because most of them are). I now spend more time watching TLC, discovery channel and extreme home makeover than ANYTHING shown on HGTV.

And while we are on the topic, could they maybe get some new christmas specials? Reruns of the 4 year old designer guys special aren't too appealing anymore. Pull up some programming from the American HGTV. Please give us some variety!!!!!!!!

I agree with everyone and especially with crazedgardner, most of us don't have thousands of dollars to spend to renovate our yards but it sure would be nice to see something on tv that related to the average person! I don't understand why the gardening shows are on so early, it doesn't make sense why they couldn't be on in an evening, how many of us are out there in the dark digging anyhow?? (Ok, maybe a few of us!) I gave up watching HGTV and all of the other renovation/home decorating shows, and can't be bothered with the 'reality' shows. Give me some good gardening books and the internet and I can find all I want now. Besides, that's why I found this great website which is a wealth of information!!

I'm with you Janet. No cable. I used to think that cable was the answer to great gardening and decor shows. Guess that's not all there is to it from the comments above. It seems funny to me that you almost have to have cable to get any gardening shows. We lost David Tarrant, Kathy Renwald to the cable stations and likely more.

I too have seem P. Allen Smith's shows thanks to PBS and our arial. I find him terrific except that he overdoes showing us the basics of planting a planter for some odd reason. Sure you may not be able to grow all the plants he shows, but he's good on showing "design principles" and how they apply in various gardens worldwide.

As others have mentioned isn't it ironic that when we Canadians really NEED to watch a gardening show (like when there's too much snow on the ground - like last weekend and still this weekend here) even PBS seems to have temporarily dropped all their gardening shows in place of cooking shows? I trust they'll find them again soon.

Wouldn't it be nice if gardening magazines put out extra ones in the winter and skipped June, July and August?

Mary

I'm so sick of the reruns that return year after year. Then when we do get some new "gardening shows" they are more like game shows. Does every show have to have a surprise unveiling at the end??

I used to love gardener's journal but have seen the episodes so many times not only do I recognize the gardens but the people also!!
I have been emailing HGTV for yrs now. They could care less what we think. What a joke they even put 'G' in the title. As for the shows on at 4 am they are all reruns also.

Wow, what would I like a TV gardening show to be about? As others have mentioned, most of my inspiration and gardening interests comes from real life, books and the web. I find that there is definitely something lacking in the latest 1/2 an hour garden makeover shows which leaves me cringing. It seems that the most interesting aspects of gardening  being that of GROWTH, is completely absent in these little quickie makeover shows. For that reason, I find those shows terrible to watch!

So what would I like seeingÂ. I actually like watching a gardener/host admire onscreen, the beauty of perennials, shrubs or landscape without doing anything to them. (Leave that up to the viewers imagination). They could just look at an old rhododendron or Azalea in someoneÂs yard and just observe and talk about the plants habit, form, health, and whatever else which appears interesting about the shrub/tree/perennial. I find this to be an old but great technique in generating visual interest and giving helpful information at the same time. As for more in depth content matter, I would really like to see creative discussions surrounding gardens and gardening styles from around the world and different periods of history. Perhaps a segment on the eastern Mogul style of gardening and the aesthetic use of narrow pathways of water in the garden (for an idea think of the landscape in front of the Taj Mahal). Or a segment on what gardens used to look like during the ÂRococo art period in France. What were the plant choices as portrayed in paintings & literature? How did people interact with these gardens at that time and to what effect have their influences remained on todayÂs style of gardening? Or a look at where some common perennial plant species originated and how they naturally grow in other parts of the world. As for Canadian content, maybe they should visit the hybridizing facilities of Morden and Explorer roses. Give viewers an idea of how theoe roses have evolved. What are the latest innovations or creations, maybe a personalized look at the struggles and accomplishments in one of the hybridizerÂs career - in developing hybrid roses. That same format can also be used for doing shows surrounding daylily hybrids, hostaÂs, irises, etc Hey, a 2 hour, made for TV, gardening movie dosenÂt sound that bad as wellÂ.heh heh

Overall, I guess I want more originality, content, and in-depth information or conversation. But whatever the show is, at least it should make people be inspired to garden and to become gardeners (not to be lead to have someone else come in and do it for them).

Video Garden, you have some great ideas there. You should pass them along to the networks...

what happened to the old shows , like canadian gardener ,
victory garden , this old house and another gardening show ( an old couple who were very informative ) that used to take place south of ottawa.they all aired on pbs watertown and ran every sunday am . you could watch from 8 am till 1 pm .

Janet and Mary, you're not missing ANYTHING by not having cable!! I get about 75 channels and there is usually nothing worth watching. I never see any gardening stuff - I get up early but 5 a.m.??!! I really miss the 8-9 p.m. time slot that used to be gardening a few years ago on HGTV. How much home renovations stuff can people swallow?

Brodie

Believe me, Brodie, having no cable is a conscious choice. I don't even watch the channels I do have very often. The only gardening show I've ever seen was David Tarrant's old show on CBC, and even then it was already reruns. If I happen to have the TV on, I get snippets of Mark Cullen and Ed Lawrence on the news/talk shows. The Internet is my greatest source of information and inspiration.

Great thread! This winter has been so bleak without the above mentioned gardening shows.
I'm ready for spring to sprout on HGTV. But I think they will need a nudge.
All I've seen in the US while on holiday is makeover garden shows. The US HGTV gardening shows are lacking also.
sam

I agree there just aren't enough gardening shows on TV. However, one good one that's not been mentioned is on BBC Canada on Saturday mornings - it's called Garden Invaders. It's a makeover show combined with a garden quiz - quite fun!
I'd love to see a show that focuses more on PLANTS!! (Gardener's Journal was always good at this)Enough with the decks and water features - it's plants that provide the fascination and challenge of gardening. Unusual shrubs, tress, perennials and annuals - yum!
Of course the BEST gardening show in my books is the BBC's Gardener's World...sadly not shown over here. I have to content myself with a subscription to their magazine...oh well...soon I'll be able to get off the couch and get out and start digging so things are looking up!

I've been complaining via email for the past 2 years about the dearth of programming on not just HGTV but several other Canadian channels as well...and to date I've had no response. I complain to Bell ExpressVu and get boilerplate with idiotic generalities that does nothing to address my concerns.
What's left? The CRTC? Those boneheads are the root of the problem...flag waving is all well and fine, but frankly I'm sick and tired of being told that "Trailer Park Boys" is Canadian Culture. A U.S. satellite system would solve the problem, but no doubt result in a visit from the Horse Police, as apparently Good Canadians musn't watch unfiltered U.S. sattelite programming. Since I grew up watching good old regular TV with an attena, and 90% of what was worth watching came from south of the border...although "Front Page Challenge" certainly was spellbinding entertainment...I'm kind of thinking of turning my dish into a bird bath.

I am down in Florida, winters, the past five years

There used to be ever so many garden shows on television down here. More than we had at home.

Now I haven't checked scheduling, at all, but I turn on Home and Garden often to see if there is a garden show on. Check the television listing, for what is on, when I have television on, I hardly ever find anything related to gardening. There is that one , I forget what the name is, something like Paul the gardening guy.
I sure don't understand why HGTV have done away with most of our garden shows.
For me, they where the most source of television interest by a long shot.
Must be a reason, I expect.

Money, money, money, MONEY!

There seems to be more money generated from home improvement than nursery advertising. TV is a business geared up to make MONEY.

As a result, we poor gardeners (pun intended) appear to have been shut out. Only in the wee hours of the day, can one sometimes catch a good garden show. Of course, they assume that the gardeners are up then, getting their morning tea ready, and preparing to go out before the other folk are out of their beds ( LOL ). Don't they realize that it's cold for us too?
{{gwi:524235}}

HGTV.ca is pathetic. Any correspondence you send to them is followed up with some bland PR-Droid reply. I am sick of "One house - Two Looks" and all the other remodelling-clone shows. I am sick of the "beautiful" people who tell us to make our homes look like the expensive, drably coloured Toronto-loft look alikes. Just what I need in my life.....more beige, taupe and brown....yeah....right. I swear...if one more botox-faced shi-shi designer tells me that my house is going to look FABULOUS, BABY after a half hour remake, I'm going to blow a gasket! Where's the "G" in HGTV? Winter time especially would have been a great time to broadcast garden shows so that we could all start planning and ordering the products advertised by HGTV SPONSORS (get the hint, HGTV?). We need some living colour in our lives, folks....not another kitchen of black marble counters and stainless steel appliances. Canadians are great gardeners, and we need shows that teach us how to push the limits, so that we can move beyond the old stand-by plantings of marigolds and pansies to bigger and bolder things like hardy hibiscus, bamboo, yucca, all the wonderful clematis vines out there, etc. We need to know how to garden effectively in our small urban gardens, how to capitolize on micro-climates, where to find so many things that our little local garden centres don't carry....and the big American stores like Home Depot won't carry, and we need shows that encourage us to communicate with and meet each other, rather than the shows that feature the "garden snobs" who only grow the "in" plants which most of us cannot afford. And how about some shows that give us PRACTICAL tips on growing under lights, scrounging up containers for growing, and how to propagate from cuttings?

So how's that for ideas and opinions? As for HGTV.ca....you folks are failing us and you're a BIG disappointment!!!!!!!

EXCELLENT message, Don, I agree with everything you say. I wish they would listen.

I can't stand that 1 house 2 looks show... I have a few ideas for shows like "The Naked Gardener" (there's actually people who do this - and not me) and "Gardens in Europe" (a show about following old people in different southern euro countries, making their vegi gardens, showing the harvest, the markets, tips and tricks...)

I'm pretty much with all of you on the gardening shows. My stomach churns watching some 'garden designer' build decks and put a few chairs out, etc. Oh, OK, he may add some plants here and there. LOL

What would I want in a gardening show? I loved the Gardener's Journal for all the real-life gardens/gardeners they visited and all the plants they showed close up and actually talked about. I love when they talk about various design styles and great plant combinations. I also love "solutions for small yards" type of shows. I live in a city and I can relate to that. One of my favourite shows actually dealt specifically with gardening in the city. I totally related to that show! I also love balcony gardening ideas and getting the most out of the smallest/most unlikely spaces.

I guess the biggest aspect is that it be some "average joe's" REAL garden! I like water features, etc, but if that "average joe" shows/tells how he put it in and all that.

I really enjoy the indepth history of plants like on "The Secret World of Gardens".

Yeah, my complaint about the timing of these shows too --- at 3:30 a.m. I'm snoring not channel surfing. Sheeesh!

I disagree slightly about the reno shows. I am totally into them right now because we are doing renos ourselves right now. BUT I never watched them until we started doing the renos .... and I'm sure the appeal will wear off fairly soon too.

I saw an interesting Gardening show earlier in the week... I t was on BBC Canada and it was called Spring...it was hosted by David Tarrant. He traveled to Chile in search of native spring flowers. It was very interesting seeing flowers that we grow as annuals in our gardens in their natural perennial habitat. Two that I specifically remember were Alstroemeria, and Calceolaria.
I winter sowed some seeds for Calceolaria...I hope they sprout!
Of course I forget what day it was that I watched and specifically what time...hopefully I will stumble across it again. OHhh and it was recorded in 2003...I waited until the end just to see how old the show was...not too bad!

That David Tarant show is a rerun. It was something they had for last season. It was interesting but it's more of a nature show than a gardening show. It may fit in the pheripherals but the core of gardening, is gardening. Digging down, planting, making and creating. I sure miss Christopher Lloyd's shows and would be very happy to see reruns. Now there was a great gardener. P. Allen Smith is great with designs. The Gardening Journal is great with tours of private gardens. Mark Cullen's is along the lines of Christopher Lloyd and Gardening Journal but not as deep was I would have wanted. Sigh.. since when has gardening become out of fashion? -- I think it was when we have interior decorators in charge of all of HGTVs programming. PBS is has P. Allen Smith and Victory Gardens. There was an old show before of 2 people working in an organic farm - that was a most informative show.

Ianna

I thought I was the only one who had a beef with "HGTV"! LOL! I just quit watching the channel after many times contacting them about the lack of the "G" component. I've even written to the CRTC - with a reply of "thank you for your comments.....blah blah blah"! So I do my own thing - I boycot that channel. I loved the Victory Garden, Mark Cullen, Gardeners Journal with Kathy R., and for a short time the show from Stanley Gardens in BC with David (CBC show originally). I am not up with the birds so never see the O-dark hundred garden shows rerun for the 1,000th time. I've never seen a decorating show that would benefit anything in my 50's built bungalow and besides - I am unique and so is my decorating style. I don't want to have a house that looks like it came from a magazine that are now a dime a dozen. I'd rather spend my $$ on plants and garden supplies like dirt, seeds, pots, decorative containers and the odd trip to a Canada Blooms Show. I was very disappointed with the Canada Blooms show last year - nothing about gardens in the displays - just more on water features; garden structures; landscapers services and products. It was more of an "outdoor decorating show". Not a single clematis anywhere in the displays - just tulips and hyacinth and daffodils. So this year I didn't go. I get much more information and knowledge from this site. I see more new plants here. I meet friendly people here. I learn new techniques here. So why battle the "corporate" giant - HGTV? I saw a lovely article by Kathy Renwald(?) in the Toronto Star about 3 weeks ago (Sat. paper) about winter sowing complete with a photo.
Perhaps we should not be thinking about how to get HGTV to meet our needs - perhaps we should be contacting the "good" gardeners who had the programs and get them to contribute to threads here! Just my thoughts.

Below is the response I received after contacting HGTV-Ca last week. They did their best to incorporate gardening related material into their programming. Not at all what I was expecting for an answer to my question why are gardening show so few & slotted in so early in the morning hours when TV's are still off in many garderners homes! I related that in the US gardening shows are programmed throughout the day & evening!
I would love to remind them again that their repeats are shown in the early morning hours. An honest answer would have been appreciated. I suspect as you all have that there are no new gardening shows for release!
"Thank you for taking the time to share with us your concerns regarding the gardening programming on HGTV. We appreciate and consider all viewer feedback when planning our programming schedules."
"We have listened to viewers such as yourself, who requested a year-round gardening presence and did our best to incorporate an array of gardening series into our lineup. Research and ratings have demonstrated, though, that the majority of HGTV's viewers turn to indoor pursuits during the fall and winter season, and we plan our schedule to accommodate the requests for more design programs, such as 'Debbie Travis' Facelift' and 'Room Service'; home improvement series, such as 'Real Renos' and 'Holmes on Homes'; workshop programming, like 'Toolbox Challenge'; and special interest series, such as 'Antiques Roadshow' and 'Trash to Treasure' -- and of course, garden shows including 'Groundforce' (9:30pm Tuesdays ET/PT -new episodes began in February) and 'Landscapers' Challenge' (which airs every weekday at 7:30 a.m. ET). That being said, below is a list of gardening programs on our Spring schedule."

"Bugs and Blooms Thursdays at 6:30 a.m. ET
Backyard Pleasures Sundays at 6:30 a.m. ET
Flower Power Fridays 6:30 a.m. ET
Garden Architecture Sundays at 6 a.m. ET
Gardeners Journal Wednesdays at 6:30a.m. ET
Ground Force Wednesdays at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT
Indoor Gardener Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:00 a.m. ET
Landscaper's Challenge Weekdays at 12:30 p.m. ET and 7:30 a.m. ET
Manic Organic Saturdays at 6:30 a.m.
Mark Cullen Gardening Weekdays at 7 a.m.
One Garden Two Looks Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 6 a.m. and Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. ET
Recreating Eden Tuesdays at 6 :30 a.m. ET and Sundays at 7 a.m. ET
Secret World of Gardens Mondays at 6:30 a.m. and Saturdays at 7 a.m. ET
Spring! Saturdays at 6 a.m. ET"
"Thank you for taking the time to write to HGTV. We hope you continue to enjoy our programming."
Sincerely,
Viewer Relations
Home & Garden Television Canada
Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc.

Yup, that's typical of HGTV.ca What they are REALLY telling us, is that they have scheduled their programming to accomodate advertising revenue. After all....the BIG money is in LG appliances and Sherwin Williams paints, not packages of seeds right? That network is so hypocritical it makes me ill. I am not about to get up at 6 AM to watch television. And HGTV knows that. Eventually, they will say something like: Since our surveys indicate that there is little interest in our garden shows, we are unfortunately forced to drop them from our schedule. We regret this decision and thank you for your continued interest in our network.

I'm giving up on HGTV. I hunt down good garden books, scour the net for more info, and talk to my online network of buddies about the garden issues of the moment. Later on this year, we will be gathering in Laguna beach, California and we will spend several days checking out the nurseries, swapping stories and having a good laugh. Thanks to "Garden Web", we found one another. We live all over North America, and are now in daily contact. Once a year we fly to one destination for a get-together. Hmmm, sounds like another missed opportunity for HGTV to do a special about gardeners and their interests! HA!

I wonder if an email campaign will get them to bring in new shows and some of the favorites at better times? I just went over to the HGTV Canada website and found this in the Frequently Asked questions area;

When can I catch my favourite gardening program?
HGTV currently has more than 15 gardening programs featured on the spring and summer schedules. In April, with the launch of our spring schedule, the brand-new series Spring (Saturdays at 7 p.m. ET) premiered, and other returning programs including Recreating Eden (Sundays at 7 p.m. ET) and Secret World Of Gardens (Sundays at 7:30 p.m. ET) began as well.

Beginning July 18 at 7:30 p.m. ET, we are pleased to present new episodes of Gardener's Journal, and effective August 1, new episodes of Flower Power will begin, as well, airing Sundays at 7 p.m. ET.

Also, look out for new episodes of Mark Cullen Gardening at 11 a.m. ET on Wednesdays, beginning July 14.

Please note that we are airing a handful of other gardening shows in prime time hours, including Bugs and Blooms (Saturdays at 7 p.m. ET), Ground Force (Mondays at 10:30 p.m. ET), Ground Rules ( Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET), One Garden, Two Looks (Fridays at 8:30 p.m. ET), and Outer Spaces (Sundays at 6:30 p.m. ET).

Also featured on the schedule through the summer are Garden Architecture, Ground Breakers, Indoor Gardner, Landscaper's Challenge, Manic Organic, and Victory Garden.

I also did a search for Mark Cullen and he has a website that looks promising coming in May 2005;
http://www.markcullen.com/

Wow, someone "up there in the hierarchy in programming" has summer covered as far as garden shows.
If "suddenly" they realized we gardeners are interested all year round especially Saturday & Sunday mornings with coffee, paper & pen in hand at lunch time...not 0600am!

Like someone else also said...maybe they should realize that throughout the spring and summer most gardeners are out in their yards and gardens as much as is humanly possible not plunked in front of the TV "watching gardening shows"!
The real thing is so much more satisfying.
To me it would make a bit more sense to have the gardening shows on in the late winter when the gardeners are getting itchy to play in the dirt and are planning their gardens for the spring.

I would love to see a show on how to garden on a budget! Where to scronge things for the garden for free, etc. What to do with tires, used bricks, and stuff like that. How to do and make things yourself, from scratch.

The last few months I have had to wake up at 5.45am. So i have set my TV to switch on and have the gardening programmes as my wake up, get showered & ready background talk.

That being said I would love to be able to watch the show at more reasonable hours..

I also agree that if someone there at HGTV actually thought about the subject they would realise ,as hunnerbun said, that the best calender time for gardening shows is late winter early spring!!

Greetings.

I am new to the forum. I am a freelance journalist and I'd like to know more about garden make-overs. Is there anyone in the forum who has direct experience, or knows of someone who's had a garden make-over?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Please contact me directly at john_joon@hotmail.com

Much obliged,
john gaudi

Boy - have you hit a spot with this thread! Here is my response to John with a few of my concerns as well:

Hi John,

I have been living in Scotland the last 6 years and have seen many garden make
over programs in the UK. These have been done to death over here. I am
returning to Ontario this summer and have just read the gardenweb thread about
gardening television in Canada. Very disheartening.

After viewing many years of this type of program ... and being an avid garden
growing plants from seeds, cuttings....I am looking to do a lot of 'garden
makeover' when my husband and I build a home on our country property. It is
old farmland.

I think there are a lot of challenges facing the gardener in Ontario, given the
climate change over the last ten years. My concerns towards redoing gardens in
Ontario now take into consideration:

drought tolerant plants for the hot summers / dry summers

less grass due to water restrictions

heavier planting so plants can naturally shade themselves

making the yard more usuable with seating areas included in the back of the

garden, paths, areas of interest

inviting more animals into the garden for pest control - sand baths / water
baths for bird life

winter seed sowing to save on plant costs and to have winter excitement (check
out garden web winter sowing site....it works!)

strong concern into growing plants that self seed - seed companies are looking
at selling vegetable seeds that are hybrid and cannot self seed - so you must
buy their seed annually / seed companies are also looking at charging in the
future for commercial growers who save their plant seeds from the original
purchased seed stock - so farmers will have to pay a 'royalty' to grow next
years crop from saved seeds.....disgusting!

growing more heirloom plants to preserve our past and seed save for the future

I personally think and agree with the thread that Canada has a strong need for
a more distinct gardening show - one that can focus on the various climatic
regions within Canada.

As for garden makeovers - I did mine in Scotland - this house had NO garden so
I put in a traditional cottage garden with a bench seating area halfway down
the garden and garden lights for evening interest.

I don't know what you are writing about but there are a few political garden
points listed above that are a 'growing' concern for many future gardens in
Canada.

I don't know if any of my thoughts are of any value to you but I am very
concerned about preserving my gardening heritage when I return home and get out
to my property to preserve what I can along with my rights to save seeds.

TV sucks. I've had to learn to listen to CBC Radio1 (and am glad I did). ALL specialty channels are going for reality TV. A&E is ruined by it, the W channel is almost nothing but, and HGTV has put an emphasis on pretend gardening shows that all involve a makeover and an unveiling. Even the HISTORY channel has shows where real people go and live in an Iron Age village or a turn of the century Nfld Outport.

I noticed that some of you didn't know we have our own Canadian versions of American specialty channels - National Geographic, History, Discovery, Biography, Comedy, HGTV, etc etc are all Canadian versions. By law we aren't allowed to have the real ones. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, mind.

I have gotten rid of all buy my basic cable, but when I had digital there was this great show on BBC Canada. It was the guy from Ground Force (a stupid reality show) but it was all gardening education in depth and presented reverently. He is awesome. Great English accent (either lower class or northern or something. Just devine.) He took you thru the entire season, over the entire season. I would like to have that show. Even if he only did it for one season, it would be good for reruns for a couple of seasons.

Would like one or two call in shows like Ken BEatty or Kathy Renwald's. I never call them, but I love them. Keep Gardener's Journal, Secret World, Victory, Canadian Gardening, Mark Cullen. Bugs and Blooms is OK but not my favourite. Add the BBC guy. Even add Ground Force, as it is one of the less offensive improvement shows (via not being American maybe??)

Actually, I could watch a channel that has nothing but gardening stuff all day. Bring on the Manic Organic, P Allen Smith, and that weird looking American guy with the gold tooth.

Sandy

I have given up on most garden shows because apparently some people have oodles of money to spend..no limit and let their designers make the decisions. And then hire gardeners. Get real. Get down and dirty. Green thumb? Ha! If no gloves its dirty thumbs. I get a bit frantic when I see Bee Utiful cottage gardens where the owner is reading the paper sitting in an easy chair! Who has time to sit?
Joyce in Iowa

Funny that this thread was resurrected. I agree. Most tv garden shows which some exceptions, are the dumbing down of gardening. Instead of teaching the public how to garden, they focus on garden design and getting landscapers/garden designers to redo their garden.

Nothing about gardeners learning how to do their own garden. It doesn't show how to prepare the ground, how to start seeds, cuttngs, etc.. and it doesn't show "how to design".

Ianna

This whole bring the indoor furniture outdoors and make a living room in your backyard, is nothing more than a money grab. Sure move everything outside then complain about bird poop on the armoire or racoons scratching the coffee table.

First they get people to buy way too much then buy a bigger house to fit it all. Then rent a storage pod to put the over flow. Now it's buy more furniture to fill your backyard. Where does it end?

But the thing that really erks me is the "Federal Government of Canada" logo that is shown at the end of all these home & Garden shows. All that means is hard earned taxpayer dollars were spent making these shows. And really most of these shows are actually just commercials for Home Depot. Taxpayer paid commercials!

I know the original post here is old, but it is more pertinent now than ever. I agree whole-heartedly with John Guelph that we need more Veggie gardening shows.

I live in the USA (Massachusetts), and things are bad here economically right now. I do not know how it is for Canada, but I believe the whole world is experiencing a slow-down.

Especially now, some shows on growing food would be very "useable" to a general audience. Who has the disposable cash now to do all these crazy renovations and such? Folks will be needing to grow food, and not at 5:00am. People will still be working (hopefully), and many will need to augment their income by growing their own food, and storing it.

Frankly I am tired of "gardening" translating as "flowers". I love flowers, but hey, we gotta eat! I have to say that over the recent years, even Organic Gardening Magazine has become mainly about flowers and "pretty edibles". Their former in-depth articles on everything from using your property for animals and wood to every kind of veggie, and some flowers stuff too were excellent. I recall an article on onions that was several pages. Several pages for one vegetable! (Yippee!, frankly). Now the magazine is slick, fluffy in subject matter, and rather dull compared to what it once was. I am not saying it is a bad magazine. I still read it, but it is not even remotely like it was. We need the old OG again. We need the homestead, edibles, vegetables, fruits, and sometimes flower-growing shows back.

I do not get up at 5.
Amen

It will probably take some time for both the US and CAN HGTV writers to put together (find people) shows that pertain to a cheaper sustainable living style in response to a slower economy. The Food channels may provide something soon.
I wish HGTV would resurrect the older vegetable/flower 'garden' shows to fill in between the 'makeover' shows.

My two favorite shows were Canadian Gardener with David Tarant and Gardening Naturally with Eliot Coleman and Barbara Damrosch. I'd love it if they started showing those again. I know they would be reruns but anything would be better than what they have now. Marg

In this economy I think many folks will be staying home more and will look to ways to save on food. Vegetable plantings is a great way to go. I learned many of my techniques simply watching shows like Gardening Naturally (thanks for helping me recall the name of that show Marg). In that show I learned more about proper composting, the use of manure, seaweed of all things, and other stuff. Sure it certainly may not appeal to all audience, but it was very imformative. Too bad we no longer have such shows.

The new Victory Garden - well it's simply rehashed segments with a new host - Jamie Durie, a well known garden designer/landscaper from Australia. The show focuses mainly on designing on a grand scale - although it does emphasis green techniques, water conservation, etc.. It does have a small segment with Kip as the actual gardener and Chef Michel cooking the organic way. However it just doesn't have that 'Organic feel' to it. It seemed too Hollywood or too New Age. In my opinion -- good eye candy, not much on substance.

There is good show on PBS - called Cultivating Life. While it is short, it does have everything, from building trellis, to planting, to cooking. It's good enough - although not close enough to the shows of the past.

I've pretty much given up on watching shows on TV. There's hope however, and it exist online. Look at such places such as Youtube and someone is most certainly going to upload a specific gardening technique.

Ianna

Ianna

I agree with you

"I've pretty much given up on watching shows on TV"

We have cable even digital or something now at my house Roger. just changed from Bell.
Man, I have been flipping the dial the past couple of days. Through all the numbers.
Around and around.

I don't find anything much on to watch at all. Usually just put on the news in some part of Canada.

A garden show. wow, wouldn't that be something special.

I sure do miss them as well

What I have found to be interesting for me, are the radio garden blogs. You can put them on, via the internet, whenever you wish

The only Canadian one that I have found is Brian Minter from Chilliwack, B.C. A man unkind to many of you perhaps but terrific person and very knowledgeable

But there are many garden blogs, that is radio program garden blogs from the U.S.

New York State, Minnesota, Tennessee, Texas are some that I tune in to.
Lots of interesting information but as well a bit of a laugh sometimes listening to the accents and local tidbits.

I usually put a program on in the early morning when I get up. Sit at the computer, with my coffee and toast, listen to the show, and check email etc.

THen maybe in the afternoon when I come in from the garden, I put one on while I am doing housework, or making diner, whatever.

Maybe we could have a list of radio garden blogs on this forum Or is there one already?

Just bring back the Garden Shows any will do over the garbage that is now on , all of the great people that ones would look forward to a cup of tea , any a little peace , ha ha , before I cut the cable cord , nothing on but junk and a million sports repeat channels gone !!!

you can still find good shows on youtube.

Is there a good, comprehensive list anywhere? I would love a list of good youtube garden shows.

Hortus TV!!! It's only 6.99 a month and you can get a free trial first. It has Gardeners' World, Gardener's Journal and a lot of other shows you can watch on your computer. It's wonderful and addictive - do check it out!

Wow, this is an old original post, but I still find it pertinent. Radio is fine, but I like to enjoy the inspiration of seeing really gorgeous gardens - especially in bloom, but not necessarily. I appreciate your comment ianna, Are there any key words one should look for in "BBC gardening" or can your give any more info. on particular shows. dcdevenue - can you give a synopsis of the style of Gardener's World and Gardener's Journal? Does anyone have any other suggestions of good gardening shows and a short description of what the format or emphasis is. I'd love a show that would take me to, say Monet's garden in Giverny, France when it's at its height in bloom or even English gardens or even Butchart or Van Deusen gardens in BC. - you know a little armchair garden travel. There really should be such a show, even if it's just to promote gardener travel.

Me too love, love a good Garden Show. Thanks Wendy !!!