Somewhere between ridiculous and appalling. Surely there can't be that many folks who like cute over substance, who prefer canned over original . . . but perhaps they are hoping to attract folks who like to watch appalling and feel superior . . .

LOL. I think tv programmers have just given up on serious gardeners based on some outdated profit/loss report.
It would be so inexpensive and easy to coordinate with a group like the conservancy.

Sad, just really sad, but... I've always wanted a topiary that looks like a hippo in a tutu. Could this be the fast track to my 15 minutes of fame?
: D

I think TV in general is a wasteland. But I agree that "gardening" shows are laughable. I used to watch "A Gardener's Diary" which I though was well done, and where you could actually learn about some wonderful plants. There really aren't any programs that show us plants, flowers or produce in detail and with really useful information. I suppose "The Victory Garden" is still OK, but not like it was. Now I'll date myself.............anyone remember "Making Things Grow" with Thalassa Cruso?

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The last time I saw "The Victory Garden", I thought they runied that program also. It's not the same without Bob Smouse(?) and as much as I'd like to admit Roger Swain. There was another guy also, Jim Evans I believe. It used to be a good show but the last time I saw it , it was awful. As for HGTV, real garden shows don't get the reviews but ad a name like disney and the ratings soar! It's all about the ratings.

I waited to reply to this post for a few days because I couldn't - and still can't - think of the words to describe how I feel about that HGTV Disney show. Actually, at first I didn't (couldn't??) believe it, but then sure enough I saw a promo for it. Some people must just have too much money to burn and too little taste.

I was never a huge fan of gardening shows (they always seemed to be on tv on Saturday mornings when I wanted to work outside) but then again, I don't recall there ever being many. I am aware of The Victory Garden (having worked at public television for several years) but never really watched it. I did catch A Gardener's Diary now and then, and there was one other show that either followed or preceded it when it was on.

While I do think it would be nice to have more serious gardening shows, I honestly can't say I'd really watch them, as I hardly watch any tv anyway... especially since they cancelled my soap opera, boo hoo.... :(

Dee

I hadn't heard of that show! My first thought----'Ew'.

Teresa

I hadn't heard of that show! My first thought----'Ew'.

Teresa

Thalassa Cruso!!!!

A thread from a couple of years ago with a video. Now THAT was a gardening show.

Claire

That video link doesn't work any more. this one may be OK.

Claire

Ah, Bill, how I remember (and would love to resurrect!) Thalassa Cruso. . .
of course, the very fact that she was English helps explain the attraction
of her show - the Brits are light years ahead of us in the general appreciation
and application of all things horticultural. For those "youngsters" in the
reading audience, I've linked her NYT obit below, which sort of explains her.

And, Babs, to answer your observation: "Surely there can't be that many folks who prefer cute over substance, who prefer canned over original." . . .consider
the sheer numbers of people who prefer Walmart over a quality store (pick
your favorite), or who prefer TV over live theatre.

Depressing. . .

Carl

Here is a link that might be useful: New York Times obit

They know that we don't have TV's out in the garden LOL

I'd rather read books anyways ;-)

Carl,
You are so right about the British and their gardens! When I was in London, it seemed everyone found some bit of earth to plant something in. Even the tiniest spaces (space being at a premium in London of course!) were crowded with an amazing variety of plants. Pots were placed wherever they could be......nearly every doorway had some form of horticultural enhancement. At the Chelsea flower show, even the small children displayed an avid interest in plants and flowers. It was a hoot to hear them ask in their British accents, "Mummy, what flower is this?"

I also found a similar love of flowers in Italy. Pots lined stairways, almost anything that could be a container was planted, and of course with the climate there the colorful flowers poked out of nooks and crannies.

I took this in England

And here is one I took in Italy.

Well I've taken up enough space on this thread!

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I remember watching the original Victory Garden on WGBH as a kid back in the 1970's (the host was Jim Crockett). The purpose of that show was clear. He taught you how to grow your own food. I think parallel's can be drawn with other programs, such as This Old House. In the beginning, the show dealt with modest makeovers that were accessible to the average person. Then the show followed the culture and turned into a ridiculous charade of McMansion or Mansion building. And guess what, the Victory Garden changed along with it and began to focus more on how to landscape that newly built McMansion. What I find curious is that the resurgence of REAL food (farmers markets, CSA's, etc..) has not yet been reflected by TV gardening shows. We need Jim Crockett now more than ever.

Nice photos, Bill! Wow!

Diggerdee, thank you. I couldn't believe how they stuff plants into so many places in Italy.

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I agree. Those garden photos from England and Italy are amazing and lovely. Thank you for sharing them, Bill.

Only in America would anyone want to turn their yard into a theme park. Disney World fits my description of hell on earth, throngs of people congregating in a commercial atmosphere. Short of a toxic waste dump, a Disney or other theme park is the last place I would ever visit.

My gardens to me are an oasis of peace, beauty, and solitude, and the chance to be one with nature. They are the antithesis of anything Disney. (Sad since Walter Disney's earliest efforts were incredibly well filmed and illustrated nature documentaries. Appalling what "Disney" turned into.)

Oh ,Spedigrees, how you've primed my memory pump with your
reference to Disney's earlier "nature" films. . .as I kid I can vividly
recall a short nature film (pretty sure it was Disney) called either
"Nature's Half Acre" or, maybe, "God's Half Acre". . .ring any bells for
anyone? C'mon, Bill, chime in!

Carl

'Nature's Half Acre' I think it was, Carl. About a year ago Hubby surprised me by finding an obscure DVD of an old Disney film 'Perri the Squirrel' I had seen in the theatre as a small child. Scenes from this movie had still haunted me (in a good way) into my adult years, so for nostalgia and curiousity's sake he bought it for me and we watched it. I'd make you a copy, but I'm sure, being a Disney product, it's copy-protected to the hilt. It's out there though if you do a search.

On this DVD is also a documentary/nature film entitled 'Nature's half Acre' together with commentaries by the photographers and producers of both films. 'Nature's Half Acre' was literally a half acre of forest land where the crew shot the film 'Perri' and it took them over a year to accustom the diverse wildlife that called this patch of land home to the cameras and crew, and to film during all 4 seasons. While filming, a forest fire broke out not too far from the half acre and the film crew had to fight the fire to prevent it from reaching and destroying the filming site, as well as shoot footage to incorporate into the film(s). At some point they decided to make the second film, 'Nature's half Acre,' which is also included on the DVD, and which I had not seen previously.

Both films were state of the art photography for the era. There is a dream sequence in 'Perri' supposed to take place while the young squirrel is hibernating that did not lose any of its magical qualities over the past half century. It was a series of superimposed nightime shots of a rabbit jumping over drifts of snow before a bigger than life orange moon with animated sparkles flying off the snow kicked up by the hare's feet. This was high tech stuff for the 1950s.

The thing of all these nature films was how true they were to nature. Many early Disney films were shown in classrooms as learning tools to kids. They didn't hide the reality of predation or death, although they did not dwell on the gruesome aspects, and they were very educational for their audience, old and young alike.

The early animated Disney works were amazing works of art as well. Bambi comes to mind. Stupendous when you consider that every frame was drawn/painted by hand.

Not sure if it was Disney, but I used to really enjoy the time lapse movies of the flowers unfurling. Quite and accomplishment back then..........

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Oh, my goodness, spedigrees! I almost just fell off my chair when I read your post. My best friend when I was younger was named Perri, and after knowing her a few years we found out she was named after a squirrel! This was something she definitely did not want known, and I can certainly understand her feelings. And now I know the source of her name. Wow, whodathunk x-number of years later I would be brought back to my youth and my wonderful, unusually-named friend by a post on a garden forum?

Dee

Yes, Bill! I do remember Thalassa Cruso's show "Making Things Grow." When my husband and I moved to Keene, NH, in the 60s, I would watch it all the time. She was marvelous --- funny and feisty --- and her enthusiasm about all things living was wonderful. She was kind of the Julia Childs of gardening (I also loved Julia's show broadcast from Boston).

Thanks, Claire, for the link to the video of one of her shows. I enjoyed the episode on Bonsai, laughing out loud whenever Thalassa
looked into the camera with her trademark 'And this is going to work --- how?' expression. That video was so informative that I bookmarked it because I know that if I ever wanted to create a bonsai it would be the perfect guide. Now THAT was a garden show!

I think what's on HGTV today is "entertainment gardening" with a little bit of reality TV mixed in. The aim is not to teach anything new about gardens. It's pretty sad and formulaic stuff. I, too, have seen the ads for the Disney garden remakes but would never watch that show. Many of you have echoed my feelings about 'watching' TV as compared to actually being in the garden 'doing' something real.

By the way, Bill, I absolutely loved that photo of the English garden. Wouldn't that be a great cover for Frances Hodgson Burnett's book The Secret Garden?

Molie

Molie,

There are so many charming gardens in England, and in Italy too. It seems they make the most of any small spaces, which in turn makes them seem very intimate. With every few steps you get a peek into another gardener's creation. I really enjoy it. Going back to Italy in a few weeks in fact. Can't wait.

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Of course, you'll take more wonderful photos?

Molie

Molie,
Thank you.
I'll take a lot of photos for sure......my other passion besides gardening is photography. I hope some of them will be "wonderful".

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While we're ranting and raving, we might as well commiserate on the disappearance of garden columns in the newspapers, and the downward trend in garden magazines to where most of them are just barely above the level of 'People' magazine (gardens of the rich and famous).

Luckily, Timber Press and a few other publishers are still alive and well, and good garden books keep being printed. That's my second-favorite collecting hobby, just behind plants - I'll have to get another bookcase soon, I guess.

No idea why most media just can't deal with gardening in an intelligent way, but I suspect it's because the people who run those 'outlets' are so much more interested in careers in the media than in the gardening (or other) content.

DTD, it's all about marketing and money. And of course so many people go online to find specific information for free, so why pay money to buy a paper magazine that may or may not have articles that are interesting to each of us as individuals? I used to get "Horticulture" magazine years ago, and while it was done very well, there were months when nothing in the issue was really interesting to me. That's not to say there weren't wonderful articles, but just not what I cared about at that time.

And as I said before, TV in general is a wasteland anyway. It seems the people who are in charge of these networks, advertising and marketing just look at numbers, not content. It seems that it's just the way it is now. At least we have this forum!

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Nan wrote No idea why most media just can't deal with gardening in an intelligent way, but I suspect it's because the people who run those 'outlets' are so much more interested in careers in the media than in the gardening (or other) content.

Kt wrote No idea why most media just can't deal with politics in an intelligent way, but I suspect it's because the people who run those 'outlets' are so much more interested in careers in the media than in the politics (or other) content.

LOL! Sad, but true.

I agree. Just the title and commercials about the Disney show is enough to make me sick. I loved Gardener's Diary. I think the only other gardening show they have now is very early in the a.m.--that goofy guy with the moustache and glasses. I don't care for Victory Garden. I think it's now hosted by an Australian and those accents are like nails on a chalkboard to me--too painful to listen to.

Bill, I do hope you post pictures of your trip. I'm sure I'm one of many who would love to see them...

Bebe,
I'm sure I'll post some when I return. Probably near the end of August by the time I organize them. Or at least what passes for "organized" in my world! LOL!

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