TV and Radio permalink
New Sarah Raven programme
This discussion has been closed.
-
Message 1.Â
Posted by chrisbucks (U14300604) on Wednesday, 1st February 2012
A new series fronted by Sarah Raven starts next Wednesday at 8.00pm on ´óÏó´«Ã½2, called Bees, Butterflies and Blooms.
I thin it's more environmental issues than gardening however. -
Message 2
Posted by kate1123 (U14824475) on Wednesday, 1st February 2012
Thanks for the heads up.
-
Message 3
Posted by Paul N (U6451125) on Wednesday, 8th February 2012
Yes, it's on tonight.
-
Message 4
Posted by Nativebee (U14909819) on Wednesday, 8th February 2012
As a beekeeper of many years I was looking forward to this programme - only to find Sarah Raven appeared to be talking to someone else, not me. This annoyed me so much i turned the programme off.
-
Message 5
Posted by Paul N (U6451125) on Wednesday, 8th February 2012
Oh really? It didn't bother me. I didn't in all honesty learn anything I didn't know already but I'm certainly going to increase the planting of the small wild flower patch I already have. I enjoyed it.
-
Message 6
Posted by marinelilium (U8293024) on Wednesday, 8th February 2012
Thank you Aunty Beeb,
I enjoyed it too.
MLx -
Message 7
Posted by GardenGnome17 (U15135737) on Wednesday, 8th February 2012
Loved this Sarah Raven programme - more programmes like this please ´óÏó´«Ã½!
-
Message 8
Posted by thedogcody (U14659366) on Wednesday, 8th February 2012
Me too-though I did wave at the screen and say I am over here-Jamie Oliver programmes have this off centre look as well and it is a bit annoying.
Other than that a lovely 60minutes-I hope those who want to grow a wild flower meadow noticed the point raised about poor soil-too often attempts in our gardens don't work because the soil conditions are too good.
Still love Sarah Raven
-
Message 9
Posted by Paul N (U6451125) on Wednesday, 8th February 2012
TDC
I visited her place last year and met her. A very nice lady with an unusual dress sense
-
Message 10
Posted by geranium (U7743914) on Wednesday, 8th February 2012
This was a very pretty programme but possibly not well researched? Many conservation organisations and academics are engaged in trying to protect wildflowers, bees and other insects. Lots of public open spaces have grass areas managed for this purpose and there have been grants for farmers to provide wildlife corridors alonside arable land. The impression given was that Sarah Raven is working on this alone. Perhaps those people in the Northampton village found her approach a bit amateurish?
-
Message 11
Posted by garyhobson (U11055016) on Thursday, 9th February 2012
This was a very pretty programme but possibly not well researched? .... Perhaps those people in the Northampton village found her approach a bit amateurish? I agree.
The program touched on several important issues. But the explanations were poor and confused, IMO.
Firstly, Sarah was confusing romanticism (pretty pictures of wavy grass and lovable bees) with efficient production.
Sarah tried to suggest that 'we' could help in the production of 'tomatoes'. In a ´óÏó´«Ã½4 program last year we learned that 50% of the nation's tomatoes are produced in one huge greenhouse. I don't really believe that the people managing that project need an amateur gardener (SR) to tell them how to run their business.
Personally, I do like to see romantic gardens and waving grasses.
So how do we grow our own bit of romantic meadow?
Sarah showed how viewers might prepare a seed tray of mixed wild flower seeds. I've tried this technique myself, and it doesn't work. The problem is that the different species in the mix have slightly different germination times. The first ones to germinate take over, and need potting on, before the rest have germinated. The instructions on the back of the packet do say 'sow outdoors where they are to flower'.
I noticed that when SR came to plant out the seedlings, she didn't use those in the tray
, but some others in individual modules 'that I made earlier' .
I've also tried the technique of removing tufts of grass from an existing lawn, and inserting plugs. But that doesn't work in the long term. The little plants will be overwhelmed by grass, unless a lot of work is put into reducing the vigour of the surrounding grass. It's not a simple job. And it's not practical to cover a large area, such as that village green. I'd really like to see that green in a couple of year's time.
Another major issue is the attitude of the Parish Council. A lot of people want sanitised gardens, and short-cropped tidy lawns. A wild flower meadow is an anathema. That issue is partly about changing attitudes. And programs such as this do have a big part to play in changing those attitudes.
I liked the interview with Pam Lewis. Pam Lewis is the author of the only book I know of about cultivating meadows. It tells it as it is, ie not easy. Anyone serious about meadows can read some of this book on Google Books:
Or better still buy your own copy, and get stuck in. -
Message 12
Posted by marinelilium (U8293024) on Thursday, 9th February 2012
Just for anyone interested, this is SR's business:
Did you see her featured on a programme which showed her very beautiful creations of floral arrangements for London's top hotels? She is also a passionate advocate for locally grown flowers and less dependency on flowers flown across the planet. I would like to see that re-run
(In fact I would love ANY re-runs of horticultral programmes. )
MLx -
Message 13
Posted by Heavy sleeting (U1508701) on Thursday, 9th February 2012
Very excellent programme. I have spent 18 months developping a wildflower meadow in my garden in London. I am also a biologist.
What's great is that the concept combines both gardening and the wonderful pleasure gained from seeing the wild flowers and grasses establish...but also its the start of trying to do something about the worrying decline in pollinators and other insects.
I liked her inspiring and hugely enthusiastic approach. Lots of people will get into this I think due to programmes like this. All my friends watched it and loved it.
Great stuff Beeb, and well done Sarah. -
Message 14
Posted by Country Boy (U2497477) on Thursday, 9th February 2012
At one point in the programme I'm sure that she mentioned a list of 22 perennials suitable for wild flower meadows.
Does anyone know where I could find that list ?
CB -
Message 15
Posted by holidayjojo (U9985821) on Thursday, 9th February 2012
I really enjoyed this program, just the thing to watch when it is so cold. After battling with our old greenhouse we have replaced it with a potting shed. It looks so cosy that I can't wait for the weather to improve and start sewing some seeds.
-
Message 16
Posted by Heavy sleeting (U1508701) on Thursday, 9th February 2012
At one point in the programme I'm sure that she mentioned a list of 22 perennials suitable for wild flower meadows.
Does anyone know where I could find that list ?
°äµþÌý CB Post 12 gives her website address. I'd contact that for the list of 22. -
Message 17
Posted by Country Boy (U2497477) on Friday, 10th February 2012
I've watched the programme again, this time more carefully. It was in the segment from the Stockbridge Technology Centre when she mentioned that they planted 22 different wIldflower species in their strips alongside the hedges.
On their website they mention some of the names; not 22 but a good list anyway.
Sarah Raven sells seed mixes of recommended wild flowers which I guess is a sort of list.
But Pam Lewis's book (Making Wild Flower Meadows) remains the best source of information and advice on this topic.
CB -
Message 18
Posted by Heavy sleeting (U1508701) on Friday, 10th February 2012
I got my seeds from They are very good and helpful and do a wide range options of mixtures, even for different soil types. It's worth getting their catalogue which has a lot of info about mowing regimes for the first and second year, which is to mimic animal grazing traditionally..also how to prepare a fine tilth to broadcast seed onto, which is then gently compressed. (i just walked over it)
This can be quite critical, ie the way the seed has good contact with the flattened tilth for maximum chances of germination.
I got great results..and am looking forward to see other species this year as well because some take a couple of years to germinate.
I don't think she could have gone into such detail in the programme though as it might just start putting people off. I'm a bit fanatical though. I even removed the top soil in half the area..as the poorer the soil the richer the meadow.
The main thing is to inspire lots of people to start doing it..so she had to over simplify a bit I think.
Naturescape have a 40 acre site with a variety of traditional English habitats..as well as the area for obtaining seed.
I haven't been though. It's in Langar, Nottinghamshire. -
Message 19
Posted by Colin (U2252951) on Friday, 10th February 2012
Lost my interest after 20 mins, far too earnest and "preachy" from Ms Raven.
-
Message 20
Posted by marinelilium (U8293024) on Friday, 10th February 2012
Holidayjojo if you are looking for motivation and inspiration then take heart -because the 2012 Olympic Park will have 915,000 sq ft of wildflower meadow all hand sown and hand mixed seed!
The wildlife,that was displaced during the build, will be reintroduced with frog spawn being added this month to the ponds, bat boxes put on the forest of trees being planted (grown in pots in Hampshire) and newts, butterflly, moth and umpteen other animals moving into their new 111 acre park during the next few months.
Rippling muscles clad in Lycra to be added in July apparently
MLx -
Message 21
Posted by Braidman (U11753668) on Friday, 10th February 2012
.
Seed feeders versus seed heads, NO CONTEST as far as the birds are concerned!
Simple message to Sarah. birds prefer feeders to having to pick their own from plants that I have specifically let go to seed and left for them!
And with feeders we see lots of birds on them that would not visit the garden to use the seed heads!
. -
Message 22
Posted by Colin (U2252951) on Saturday, 11th February 2012
I thought I'd give this a 2nd chance on iPlayer, but it really was dire!
It could have been done in 30 minutes, but the faux-drama in Creaton was such a tired TV cliche.
Just annoying. -
Message 23
Posted by Bestie (U14646326) on Saturday, 11th February 2012
At last - after being postponed - this programme arrived. I had high expectations and even though it was completely different to what I imagined, I thoroughly enjoyed it and commend Sarah Raven for bringing this extremely urgent subject matter to mainstream tv.
She is hugely knowledgeable and I enjoyed her gentle style of presentation. A welcome relief from the usual loud, brash and frantic style that so many presenters adopt these days.
I felt very inspired and hope that others will feel the same and that more and more areas of wild flowers will be introduced and allowed to develop, safe from the dreaded lawn mower!
I look forward to the next two programmes very much. -
Message 24
Posted by Chemmy (U14258149) on Saturday, 11th February 2012
The second programme is called 'Towns, Gardens & Britain in Bloom' so I'd expect this to be of more interest to the gardening community.
-
Message 25
Posted by Heavy sleeting (U1508701) on Saturday, 11th February 2012
But she made the point in the first programme that you can do it small scale in your garden...which I have done....but yeah it will be interesting to see the next one.
I have athletics tickets...I didn't realise they were sowing wildflower meadows all around the stadia for it. I'm looking forward to seeing that as much as the athletics. -
Message 26
Posted by Lowena (U14575314) on Saturday, 11th February 2012
I thought it was a bit slow, but I will watch the other 2 programmes.
-
Message 27
Posted by Chemmy (U14258149) on Saturday, 11th February 2012
As the first programme focused on the countryside where wild flowers might be considered in keeping, I'm happy to give her the benefit of the doubt and will watch the rest of the series with interest.
I do think, however, she's going to need to present a more convincing case if she wants to persuade the average gardener to grow wild flowers (aka. weeds, albeit pretty ones) on anything other than a token scale. I liked the idea of mowing less often though to let daisies and clover flower though. -
Message 28
Posted by PenylanSue (U13901201) on Sunday, 12th February 2012
Sorry Chemmy but our wild flowers were in the cities before us and therefore are in keeping. Check out Telford. Although not everyone's idea of a typical town they are playing a big part in introducing wild flowers to all their open spaces, verges, roundabouts etc and are using Nigel Dunnet's mixes. (As used in the Olympia area)
And please don't mistake countryside as providing places for wildflowers as most fields around here in Mid Wales are sheep chewed deserts!
Thankfully, and in big part due to pressure from environmental groups, the local councils are letting the grass verges grow as meadows and therefore corridors for the wild life.
What came out of SR's involvement with the village was the beginning of a nature group. I know that a church in Oxfordfordshire turned its grounds into a wildflower spectacular with marvellous results for the whole community.
I'm an average gardener but there are places for wildflowers in my garden and there are always lots of bees about. (to be truthful though, they do like a lot of my cultivated flowers too)
Sue -
Message 29
Posted by kate1123 (U14824475) on Sunday, 12th February 2012
I am a little confused, if you go to SR's website most of the plants she promotes as good for pollinators are normal garden plants, Dahlias, Hollyhocks, Marigolds etc. Why are the wildflowers needed as pollinators? Are these 2 separate issues?
I do not remember wildflower meadows from my childhood in the countryside. Like Sue says most of the fields were in use for cattle or hay. -
Message 30
Posted by Chemmy (U14258149) on Sunday, 12th February 2012
You're right, Kate1123, wildflowers are not needed as pollinators. The job can be done using nectar-rich garden plants which would be a much better message for SR to get across to gardeners.
Wild flowers peak around July - in fact they have a very short flowering season. Carefully-chosen nectar-rich ornamentals, on the other hand, will provide food for pollinators over a much longer period.
As a gardener, rather than a environmentalist, I know which would get my vote. -
Message 31
Posted by Pumpkin_Patch_Paul (U14565900) on Sunday, 12th February 2012
Didn't Toby do this at Greenacres armed with just a cement mixer and all within 10 minutes and without talking down to us.
Programme far to posh for the likes of me.......Just bung some runner beans and foxgloves in, the bees love them. -
Message 32
Posted by marinelilium (U8293024) on Sunday, 12th February 2012
Most pollinators start life as larvae that feed on very specific plants to start thier life cycle. Hay meadows are just one kind of habitat.
Bees are the pollinators we tend to think of as the main pollinator (probably because we see and hear them at work by daylight) but moths, wasps, butterflies and crawling insects play a big role in pollination too.
Bee larvae are fed by adult bees but the larvae of others feed on vegetation. So....even if you plant Nasturtiums (to save your brassicas) have any flowering plants or just leave a few nettles growing somewhere then you're a gardener AND an ecologist
MLx -
Message 33
Posted by marinelilium (U8293024) on Sunday, 12th February 2012
(Sp) I meant "their" life cycle
-
Message 34
Posted by kate1123 (U14824475) on Sunday, 12th February 2012
ML this is what is confusing me, I thought that by growing a wide selection of single flowers that flower over a long period was the best help for pollinators. It is the meadow that is confusing me.
-
Message 35
Posted by marinelilium (U8293024) on Sunday, 12th February 2012
You are 'doing your bit' Kate as nectar plays its part.
Meadows and grasslands just do it for the insect larvae that feed on vegetation that you are not growing. Some of those plants have been referred to here as "weeds" but to larvae they are lunch.
MLx -
Message 36
Posted by Pete-Free (U7363826) on Thursday, 16th February 2012
Two episodes down and one to go. Excellent series and a wake-up call for us all to grow the right plants for pollinators, nectar and the planet.
Still recoiling from Harrogate's Britain in Bloom park bedding colour scheme tho. I always had this lovely place down as being the arbiter of good taste and beauty.
Just off to check the seed box contents and hoping the sweet williams, cosmos, cerinthe and clary which I'm planning to sow this afternoon in the propogator are environmentally friendly. -
Message 37
Posted by Colin (U2252951) on Thursday, 16th February 2012
Far, far too worthy. 'Sit down and listen to teacher!'
-
Message 38
Posted by anothergardener (U14387447) on Thursday, 16th February 2012
I thought this second programme was much better than the first, Harrogate seemed to need a push in that direction. Welcome to the 21st century.
-
Message 39
Posted by thedogcody (U14659366) on Thursday, 16th February 2012
I enjoyed part 2 as well and agree that the Harrogate bedding schemes were so tried and tested as to be predictable and boring -I thought the bold stand -out displays went out of fashion years ago-so well done Sarah for giving them a different prospective.
However I was disappointed that The RHS officials seemed to struggle at first with idea-if ever an organisation need new blood then this proved that they do
Colin-you didn't like episode (you watched it twice)-yet you watched episode 2 -and didn't like that either does this mean you won't watch episode 3?
Did I mention I still love Sarah H -
Message 40
Posted by thedogcody (U14659366) on Thursday, 16th February 2012
stupid boy-no Sarah R
-who is Sarah H??? -
Message 41
Posted by Pumpkin_Patch_Paul (U14565900) on Thursday, 16th February 2012
I enjoyed the programme apart from being talked to as though we are idiots that don't know what insects do in the garden.I get the impression that they think that they have discoverd something that gardeners from years ago knew nothing about....They did and we do it's called pollination.
Wonder if the profits from the predictable ´óÏó´«Ã½ book will go to the cause,also I have four garden 2012 catalouges and none show the bee symbol..
PPP -
Message 42
Posted by Himleywolf (U7810722) on Thursday, 16th February 2012
This idea really appeals to me.
I have a small front lawn, 5m x 4m, north facing , doesn't get much sun, the lawn isn't very succesfull, I was thinking of trying something different and this programme has convinced me, but.........
1. I had a look at the seeds on websites above, the photo's show fields and talk of acre's, all I want is a 5m x 4m patch, would it work?
2. North facing, not much sun, is that a problem?
3. Is it to late for this year.
Any answers appreciated, thanks in anticipation -
Message 43
Posted by thedogcody (U14659366) on Thursday, 16th February 2012
I have never tried this but have often heard of people who have-I am assuming you want to replicate a wild flower meadow-it is possible to do this on a small scale but the major problems the quality of the soil-it does basically need to be pretty poor which is an anathema to most gardeners.
One of the posters on this thread actually removed the fertile top soil-are you prepared to do that?(message18)
As for north facing-little sun-not ideal I would have thought.
I am not trying to put you off the idea but this is not something you don't want to do lightly and nothing happens overnight -it could be a year or two-but if you are going to do this there is still plenty of time to start this year.
That is my opinion for what it is worth-hopefully those who have had experience will offer their views -
Message 44
Posted by kate1123 (U14824475) on Thursday, 16th February 2012
Do you want a meadow as an idea or to help pollinators ?
I think that the fact it is not a great lawn tells you that you should try something different. I would look for some shade lovers. -
Message 45
Posted by Braidman (U11753668) on Friday, 17th February 2012
.
My she does hector a lot!
And those at the top at Harrogate seemed naive about the birds and the bees, well the bees any how!
. -
Message 46
Posted by jo4eyes (U13654107) on Wednesday, 22nd February 2012
Well I for one will give it a go & sow a mini wildflower area on a new bed where I stripped off turf last year. Now that a large tree has been felled the new bit will get loads of sun, assuming we get any, so since am having to 'take things easy' for a few months may as well try. J.
-
Message 47
Posted by Lowena (U14575314) on Thursday, 23rd February 2012
They're a lot of work Jo. If you don't keep weeding the bed, all sorts of things germinate and crowd out the wildflowers. I gave up after the 2nd year of mine as it was more labour intensive than my herbaceous border.
-
Message 48
Posted by tattiebogle (U11728394) on Thursday, 23rd February 2012
This series has just got better and better. Last night's programme was superb. So lovely to see all those bees and insects in city centres, and good to see it was cost effective too.
It even inspired OH to make plans to dig up some of his precious lawn to sow wild flowers!! -
Message 49
Posted by tattiebogle (U11728394) on Thursday, 23rd February 2012
Lowena, I did wonder about weeds like buddleia and grasses. I suppose the councils clear the area completely at the end of each year so perennial weeds don't get a hold?
-
Message 50
Posted by cellarina (U3441540) on Thursday, 23rd February 2012
In the cities, I wonder about problems in the winter, particularly on those strips down dual carriageways where presumably there would just be bare soil getting washed onto the road?
About this Board
Welcome to the new Gardening Board. If this is your first time, then make sure you check out the
or  to take part in a discussion.
The message board is currently closed for posting.
Weekdays 09:00-00:00
Weekends 10:00-00:00
This messageboard is .
Find out more about this board's
Search this Board
´óÏó´«Ã½ iD
´óÏó´«Ã½ navigation
´óÏó´«Ã½ links
´óÏó´«Ã½ © 2014 The ´óÏó´«Ã½ is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.
This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.