Alice Fowler.

Don't forget Alice tonight,BBC2..... 8 o'clock. :cutflwrs::mwlwn:

 

I'd love to know where Alys Fowler lives - she keeps chickens in her '... Victorian city garden, about 20 x 60 ..' Several of my friends live in similar properties where the merest suggestion of keeping chickens (even if it was only 2) would bring their neighbours and local Council out in a cold sweat.

 

I love this series. It's such a 'happy making' program.

 

She is priceless.........she makes me smile for a whole half our.

 

I've been a bit disappointed.

I absolutely loved the first one, and although I have enjoyed it each week, for me it hasn't kept the same quality. I was really disappointed when she started foraging and making weird nettle brews. The actual percentage of viewers who are going to do either of those things must be minute.

It's a bit like the Jamie Oliver series when he used to have these hoards of 'friends' who used to turn up at 1 in the morning for a snack - as if! Then it turned out they were all just inserted by the program makers to make a hip and cool atmosphere!

I love the idea of the program, and I love her allotment friend and her honest emotion and love about her garden. But I can't stand those very odd moments, which seem to come from the program makers rather than Alys (I hope) where she is gorging herself on freshly picked cucumber while the camera man zooms in on the hole in her sock. :euw: They don't need to build an image for her, she's natural enough to have her own, effortlessly, which is charming.

Don't get me wrong, I like the program and I am really glad that we have the chance to watch more gardening progs on tv, I just wish they would film her in the no nonsense way she is. Her garden, her attitude and her outfits make a picturesque program on their own.

 

I too have been a little dissappointed, but then have to pinch myself as a reminder that the title of the programme is "Edible Garden". There must be quite a high percentage of UK gardens with Nettles in, hence why the nettle brew came up. And the foraging off for Willow was no different to how I forage off for recyclables for use in the garden

Alys is an accomplished and experienced gardener and could on her own make a very high quality, info packed programme about growing edibles in the typical back garden, but I think this programme is not particularly aimed at the more experienced gardener, but maybe those who are just starting to get outside with their first trowel & fork, with just enough of an interesting value for more experienced gardeners too.

I think Alys could make both types of programmes very well, and she should be encouraged to do so....and the BBC should fund/film/show both.

Steve...

 

I agree. I think the problem is that the BBC seem to think that you can make a gardening program and aim at non gardeners as well, in the hope of having a bigger audience. But in my experience, only people who enjoy gardening watch gardening programs! So they end up alienating the people who would tune in regularly because of the heavy weight of the silly stuff!

 

Hi, I just watched the one on root veg on the iplayer after reading your comments and I have to say I really enjoyed and look forward to watching the others, made me want to go and dig my garden up and plant veg (not sure what the 3 kids and 2 dogs would say about that !).
I thought she was lovely and very inspiring, BUT it was a little unrealistic (time, money and space wise) and I'm not sure I learnt much ! But, if you're feeling a little disheartened by the weather or lack of time it's nice to know eventually you will reap the rewards and sit in your garden with some homegrown salad like Alice !

Fretters :D