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dfaustclancy

Gardening TV Shows?

19 years ago

Is it me, or are all of the gardening TV shows gone, gone, gone! I keep looking for Victory Garden, and I don't see it. I thought I saw an ad for that English guy's show (what is his name -- P. something or other) but couldn't find it.

I really miss gardening! Two days ago it was 4 degrees!!!!

I bought a Gerbera daisy in a small pot just to have something to look at.... (sigh)

Do you guys know of any tv gardening shows?

Deb

Comments (24)

  • 19 years ago

    Maybe the English guy that you're looking for is the Southern guy P. Allen Smith? I know he's around but I don't know the channel or time, sorry. Also, Victory Garden is still on - PBS. In Western Mass the PBS station is WGBY and the show is on Sundays late afternoon. It doesn't have the same cast as years ago - they updated the look with a more "hip" host, Michael Weishan, who I do like. There is also a gardening show before Victory Garden called Smart Gardening. Again, this is Western Mass and it's probably different times around Boston. Victory Garden is produced by the Boston PBS station, WGBH, so Ican't imagine it's not available. On cable there is "Rebecca's Garden" too.

  • 19 years ago

    If you check the PBS web site you can find the times of Victory Garden. I believe WGBH (Boston PBS) it is on Saturday's at 12 noon. I stopped watching it as for the longest time it seemed to be only running reruns.

    So Rebecca's Garden has been cancelled. So no new episodes are being produced. You can still see repeats on cable. Rebecca Koll has started a new magazine called Seasons.

    See Rebecca Koll's web site for more info...

    Seems like not too many gardening shows on any more.

    Sue

    Here is a link that might be useful: Rebecca Kolls web site

  • PRO
    19 years ago

    Try using a DVR/TIVO.. it will automatically tape the shows you choose it to... at anytime of day... I have mine set for Victory garden, P.Allen Smith, Gardening by the yard, Victory Garden I never miss a show... plus I get to watch it w/o commercials

  • 19 years ago

    Kathy -

    I felt the same way!!

    Maybe we need to write the big sponsors (like HD, Lowes, etc), and the cable/Direct TV companies and say something like, "...the reason I subscribed to cable was to watch garden shows..... however, with nearly no gardening shows anymore I am considering cancelling my cable subscription....boycotting your store....etc."

    Might be worth a try.

    Bill

  • 19 years ago

    Bill --

    You've hit the nail on the head, but writing the cable companies won't help since they have absolutely no control over programming. They just transmit what the networks send them.

    Or take the proactive approach: Watch who's advertising now. Call them and tell them you saw them on "..." and as a result will buy the product/patronize their store/etc.

    I'm In the cable industry and have talked several times with the regional HGTV rep about just this. They do want to give watchers what they want, but it takes money. As I've written many, many, many times before here -- it's all about having the sponsors to produce the show.

    You can tell HGTV "we want it" and they can go out and beat the street looking for dollars to make it happen, but if companies don't think a market is there, they won't sign on.

    Martie

  • 19 years ago

    What about People Places Plants? This thread reminded me that I used to watch it, and now it is supposedly on HGTV. I will have to go see if I can find it.

    Here is a link that might be useful: PPPlants, the show

  • 19 years ago

    Hi Debra,

    Today on HGTV, from 12 Noon - 1 p.m., there were two repeats of "The Secret Gardens of ...." The first program focused on Charleston, SC., and the second on Annapolis, MD. I happened to be working at the kitchen table and enjoyed them. According to the credits, the shows were filmed in 1999 and 2000. If you work outside your home, maybe you can record from Noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesdays? Of course, it could just have been February programming?

    ~ Hilda

  • 19 years ago

    I was thinking the same thing. I love the garden shows that HGTV used to have but most of them are gone. I love Gardening by the Yard and Groundbreakers. I hope these don't go away. I asked HGTV about why 2 of my favorite shows were gone and was told the shows were on hiatus (apparently for good). It's very disappointing.

  • 19 years ago

    Like all TV shows, the gardening shows are driven by ratings, and apparently the garden shows have low ratings (meaning fewer people watch them than other shows). If more people were watching garden shows, the networks and cable cos. wouldn't be canceling them and instead would be offering more garden shows to watch.

    I think this is because there are fewer and fewer real gardeners in existence, at least here in the US. Although you will hear quoted often that "gardening is the #1 hobby in America", I believe whoever did this survey included lawn mowing and weed wacking as gardening activities. The number of people who actually GARDEN, like us, is declining.

  • 19 years ago

    Oh man, I consider weed wacking to be penance for a mortal sin. It is my least favorite chore.

    It is sad also that the shows that are on are dumbed down quite a bit. I absolutely hated Landscape Solutions because the host used the same design and plant material on nearly every project. I realize that they are catering to the new gardener to get them interested, but it seems like that is their sole target audience. I love Paul James because he is full of information. I even like his goofy approach, but even that is disappearing. I guess HGTV wants him as generic as Landscape Solutions. How about a some botany or true horticulture? The only way to see shows that include that is on stations like UCTV on satellite and those shows are about as entertaining as sitting through a college lecture, which is what they are. Informative but YAWN!

  • 19 years ago

    Right now in central MA we are getting "Smart Gardening" on HGTV which is not bad...plus Victory Garden is on now and again. I also like watching Backyard Habitat on Animal Planet, about landscaping for the benefit of wildlife (which happens to be my passion).

  • 19 years ago

    Ellen,
    When is Smart Gardening on? I don't think I've ever seen it.

  • 19 years ago

    Terryboc - I was wrong, Smart Gardening is not on HGTV but on PBSHD from 5.30-6pm on some weekdays. We just have our DVR set to record it whenever it's on, so I'm not sure which days exactly :-)

  • 19 years ago

    Interesting thread. We cancelled cable a year and half ago now because there was "nothing on". We now receive a total of 4/sometimes 5 channels and our viewing has dropped remarkably.

    I can't remember the last time I watched "Victory Garden"! There were a couple of shows I used to get a kick out of but it was so long ago now I barely remember them. One was with a woman named Karen Stro-something, I think she was a painter, too. And then was one with Barbara Damrocsh and Elliot Someone (they're well known as garden writers and I've butchered her name and spaced his right out). I've never seen People, Places, and Plants, but like the magazine.

    I'm with most you, though... too much yakety-yak, fluff, and the same old material, not enough "smart stuff"... like botany, design theory, unusual combinations of "choicer" plant material. I've felt the same about home dec. shows for years, too!

  • 19 years ago

    Smart Gardening is on WGBH (PBS channel 9 Providence, channel 168 WGBH create-American PBS creative shows including P Allen SmithÂs show  or check www.createtv.com) It is produced by the University of Oregon and has had some quality gardening segments Allen Armitage discussing partial sun vs partial shade, segment on Fencing, Pebble paths in a Chinese garden, Cosmos and Zinnias. The date of the show was 2006 so there might be hope of it returning in 2007 although most gardening shows seem to have a short shelf life. I have posted the link below before but I think itÂs worth repeating. This google video is a new gardening show concept that some Boston folks are trying to sell to tv land. I love the urban sustainability twist to it. What do you think? kt

    Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Girl

  • 19 years ago

    Garden Girl looks like a great show, therefore it is doomed from the start. Too bad, because it looks intelligent, creative and different. I'm plannning on getting some chicks this year for eggs and manure, so it would be timely now.

  • 19 years ago

    I just noticed that HGTV is starting to show A Gardener's Diary again. I watched it last season and really enjoyed it. It is nice to see other gardeners around the country describe their gardens. It will be airing on weekdays at 8:00am on HGTV beginning on March 26 in the Boston area.

  • 19 years ago

    Oh I miss Rebecca's garden! I'll have to find some of these others. They are nice to watch in the cold months. I wonder if ratings problems with Rebecca's garden and the other garden show HGTV had before that were because they were on so early. Does anyone remeber the name of the Show Rebecca's replaced, there was a woman that went to see people's garden's and taked about them. So many beautiful gardens on that show. I wonder if it was a gardener's diary that sounds familiar.
    I agree not enough garden on HGTV too bad :(

  • 6 years ago

    So true!! I was just googling to see if there was a gardening channel. Out of all the thousands of channels, there isn't one. Stupid!! I know on PBS, on the weekends, you can catch P. Allen Smith and a few others. There should be a channel devoted to gardening.

    dfaustclancy thanked HU-171763367
  • 6 years ago

    Could not believe this thread started 14 years ago (before I retired!)


    Found these: https://www.theringer.com/tv/2020/3/3/21161709/netflix-gardening-shows-are-good


    Then I just found these, but haven't had a chance to check em out yet. https://reelgood.com/tv/genre/home-and-garden/on-netflix


    Still googling, found this: https://www.reddit.com/r/gardening/comments/8baxxt/two_very_enjoyable_gardening_shows_available_in/


    And this last one ought to keep me in the house for quite a while. No problem, we're having a fricken pandemic! https://www.prettypurpledoor.com/gardening-tv-shows/


    and in suburbs of Boston, MA: https://www.pbs.org/show/garden/


    https://www.amazon.com/Grow-Cook-Eat/dp/B07S2143WG


    Happy Watching! Let me know which become your favorites.

    Deb


  • PRO
    6 years ago

    Awesome

  • 6 years ago

    Agree about Big Dreams, Small Spaces -- it's really enjoyable!

    https://www.prettypurpledoor.com/gardening-tv-shows/

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    We completely agree! We have a YouTube channel called The Lawrence Garden Farm, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXsC9ZxvnZqWRjSfQ2S1rTw

    We have a playlist called building our garden farm show, it’s more reality style about our garden and family

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