Calling all fellow landscape gardeners...ever got annoyed when watching garden makeover TV programmes? With another series of Love Your Garden due to be filmed this year I am keen to revive this discussion which has been fervently debated on LJ before.
This subject is important to me because I am a gardener and support my husband with the running of his landscape gardening business. I am also a 3rd year Garden Design student at Sparsholt College and, whilst researching this subject, I discovered that '...the landscape gardening industry alone employs over 60,000 people and has an annual turnover of approximately £3 billion.' (www.startups.co.uk) and, according to the Which website, Love Your Garden and Gardeners World have a combined viewing figure of well over five million, whereas the Amateur Gardening website reveals that gardening audiences have been in decline since Ground Force attracted 12 million viewers. These figures are not insignificant and should be taken seriously by the landscape gardening industry.
I believe that while garden makeover TV programmes make a positive contribution to horticulture, they also have a negative impact on our business, in that they do not present an accurate picture of the time and labour involved or, indeed, provide true costs. For people who are trying to make a living in this industry, a lot of precious time and money could be saved visiting and estimating a job for people who think they can have the whole garden done for £1000 in two days! It would be beneficial allround if potential clients had a realistic view of what to expect when they watch these programmes
So, perhaps, as a group we can raise awareness of this issue by renewing the discussion and hope that it is taken onboard by the TV crews who make these shows and the celebrity gardeners who present them.
See previous discussions on LJ by 'The Landscape Man' in 2010, and 'Should LJN members scrutinise future garden makeover shows very closely?' by John at acegarden services on July 21 2012...
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Replies
Hi Lisa,
Good subject!
over the years, I have enjoyed "The Beechgrove Garden" and laterly "The City Gardener.
I would say though - that I have taken more ideas from Matt James The City Gardener, whereas The Beechgrove always seemed to be about bringing on plants and veg.
I have all Matts books and his DVD, I have certainly found the work Matt James done on his City Gardener as Inspirational. I just love to turn a dump into something good, Im not the greatest with best types of plants for where, but the actual physical experience of turning it round is up my street.
I agree where you are coming from though, I've met a few folk, who think I should have put up new ranch style fencing, a decked area for socialising with built in electrics. for a budget of 2-£300. some people expect the world for nothing. its crazy.
well thats my contribution ;-)
I wonder whether a You tube Channel giving a realistic picture of the situation would help redress the problem. I have in the past suggested that garden designers and people involved in this type of work should give an idea of costs and budgets on their websites, even offering package prices. Whilst understanding the drawbacks in this type of approach, the advantage would be that the people who are interested in buying professional garden or landscape services would from the outset have a realistic idea of the costs involved.
I price my products, people can then make a decision whether or not they want to buy what I am offering or not at those prices, I will always answer their questions and do whatever I can to make individual items but they do have a starting point in relation to costs, we also sell to the trade and have different pricing structures available to them.
I posted the comment below on another thread last week on the same lines.
"Ahh Ground Force..........a whole different subject! What was it that niggled you most? With me it was the idea that a 2/3 week job could be completed in 2days and they would price up just the materials, often forgetting to mention the cost of 3 or 4 skips as well!
Still it bought some work in..........I think!"
Great to get your views on this subject Scott. I am disappointed with the response so far though- I thought more people might have replied, especially as TV and the media has such a big influence. I don't know if you visited Hampton Court Palace Show last year but the Low Cost, High Impact Gardens went some way to addressing this issue. See www.rhs.org.uk
Scott Kinnear said:
I found a Garden Makeover TV Web Series on youtube whilst investigating this issue but it's not really what you're suggesting- check out the presenter!
Visit: http://www.GardenMakeoverTV.com
Garden Makeover TV with Shirley Bovshow is the first professionally produced garden makeover series for the web! Each video focuses on a project from a larger yard makeover for more in-depth coverage than you find on a television show.
Fenlandphil said:
I agree, I think it probably does bring some work in Colin. The Low Cost High Impact Gardens at Hampton Court Palace Show last year gave the public some idea of what can be achieved but, I would argue, even those had hidden extras because they were designed on a blank canvas. They did not allow for different sites and locations, not to mention access issues on real jobs, clearance and waste disposal- as you say skips! However I noticed in the literature I picked up for one of the gardens that the company covered themselves by putting a note in the small print to this affect. Again, I think this is an ongoing problem which is why garden makeover TV programmes should discuss these issues and the true costs involved for everyone's benefit.
Colin Hunt said:
Be honest with you Lisa most of us came to the conclusion you have about 15 years ago and we just live with the consequesnces of unrealistc expectations. Must admit I didn't think it was so bad these days but then I haven't watched a TV for 2 1/2 years! I'm certainly not seeing it 'on the ground' as much.
Regards the low cost / high impact gardens I blogged about that last year http://www.the-gardenmakers.co.uk/apl-landscapers-at-hampton-court-... it was a terrific initiative and is being repeated again this year.
I think it is fallacy to say there is a poor response or that no-one is interested. One of the principal aims of the LJN is to educate, Phil has done many posts about how much 'we' should charge & there are many discussions about charge out rates and making a profit.
These all serve to highlight the true cost of 'getting your garden done'.
I agree Brian, it is crucial that your customer understands the processes and timescales, and to skillfully change the understanding of an uninformed customer requires a certain character with expertise and experience, which is also essential for success in this industry. However the public viewing figures for TV garden makeover shows are not insignificant and could, and do, change public perception. The media has a huge influence and should not be underestimated. Perhaps they are continuing to flog a dead horse by filming another series of Love Your Garden but, by reviving the debate, you never know someone out there might get the message... Alan Titchmarsh, David Domoney etc etc
Brian www.mibservices.co.uk said:
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