On a recent episode of our podcast Talking Gardens, TV gardener Carol Klein revealed that she dislikes programmes where an entire space is revamped in just a few days. “I shouldn't say this but I really hate gardening makeover programmes because they've got nothing to do with gardening. Gardening is a process, it’s not a product.” She even revealed she declined the offer to take part in one when invited.
Listen to the full podcast here.
We were intrigued to see what our readers thought of television makeover programmes; when we asked them, we discovered a fairly even split in opinions. Some agreed with Carol, questioning the cost and lack of biodiversity of many of these new gardens, and wondered if the owners are equipped to maintain the space after television crews have left.
Others disagreed. “If people get engaged with gardening through these programmes, they are achieving something,” said one respondent. Professional gardeners also highlighted the pressure these ‘instant’ makeovers put on them to create showstopping gardens quickly.
Read more:
- 8 quick and easy cheats to make your garden look good in time for the weekend
- Should you get a second hand greenhouse? I got one and regretted it...
- 56 beautiful bee-friendly plants that will make your garden buzz
- Here’s how to transform your garden with a water bowl, pond or rill
Garden designer Lee Burkhill, on the other hand, believes these shows are “helpful in bringing more garden design and horticulture knowledge to those who otherwise would not discover it”. Lee, who is better known by fans of his gardening advice blog as the Garden Ninja, is one of the presenters of BBC Garden Rescue, which brings in designers and gardeners to transform a space in a short, two-day build.
He acknowledges the criticism of television’s ‘instant gardens’, but says “the work behind the scenes is much more involved. Designing gardens for a TV show is no different to working with private clients, albeit more condensed.”
Opening up the horticultural world
While some of our respondents questioned whether non-gardeners will be able to look after their makeovers into the future, it’s clear there is a focus on creating manageable spaces. Lee tailors the gardens he creates for the show with participants’ ability levels in mind, adding some ‘skill-stretch plants’ to help them develop after filming. “One of my aims is to help educate as many people as possible on both design principles and horticulture,” says Lee. “Without Garden Rescue, a lot of people would never be exposed to these principles or plants.”
Given the barriers to forging a career in garden design, such as accessibility and cost, imparting knowledge wherever possible can only be a good thing. “It gets people motivated, excited and ready to learn more about gardening,” explains Lee. The lack of information available when it comes to horticulture in the UK is one of the reasons why he launched his gardening advice blog and YouTube channel, creating online guides you can access free of charge.
On Garden Rescue, participants must spend at least £3,000 on plants and materials, but they receive the garden designs and labour for free, and Lee gives each owner a full plant list and around an hour of tailored advice on what to do when.
Are garden makeovers sustainable?
Horticultural help aside, questions remain as to the sustainability of many garden makeovers we see on TV. Many of our readers were quick to point out the behind-the-scenes cost of buying large plants already in bloom for instant effect, and the reliance on passing garden trends rather than schemes designed to benefit nature in the long run.
One of our readers complained, “Many of the garden makeovers include a lot of paving and structures like pergolas and water features. Not a blade of grass anywhere to be seen.” Meanwhile, designers on other shows have been known to install fake grass in the pursuit of a low-maintenance space.
It’s clear for those who derive hours of joy from tending their gardens each week, the concept of the instant makeover slightly misses the point. As one of our readers put it, “gardening is about dreaming, growing plants from seed, tending to them, learning about them. Things sometimes go well and sometimes don’t, and you learn.”
Unlike renovating a kitchen or bathroom, where the finished project is the end goal, “the process of gardening is the reason to garden,” another respondent added.
Horticultural knowledge is valuable
Although there are questions to be asked about the type of plants and elements included in many garden makeovers, getting a helping hand and some free advice is undeniably valuable, especially for those who may be overwhelmed by the scale of their garden project or unable to start it themselves.
Perhaps it is time to acknowledge the slow process of gardening in makeover shows, installing young, affordable plants over a longer timescale and revisiting gardens as they grow and flower?
No matter the individual choices made on these garden makeover programmes, there’s no denying that, as Lee puts it, “they open the doors of horticulture to an audience usually left staring through the keyhole. After all, plants and design should be for everyone, not just the few.”