Autumn's here!
5.00am the alarm jolts me from sleep, 5.50am I leave my house, 6.20am I pick up Sharon (programme director) and at 6.40am we arrive at the garden to begin another autumnal day of filming. With the grips of autumn truly around us and the days getting shorter we have to get to the garden whilst it's still dark, set up the cameras and be ready to roll for when the light breaks - it's then a race to get a programme filmed before dusk!
It was exceptionally cold on the 17th October and the programme we were filming goes out tonight.
I hope you get loads out of this week's programme - I have to say I love it! Lots of hints and seasonal jobs all bathed in autumnal hues highlighted by a low sun. I suppose it would be pretty silly for me not to love the programme we have spent the last two weeks lovingly crafting! Everyone involved is so passionate about Gardeners' World and gardening in general that each programme feels almost part of us by the time it hits the screen! Although it has to be said, we cannot please every one every time and for as long as the programme has run we've welcomed the constructive criticism which has helped mould it into what it is today. The thing we have to understand is that for every 10 people who dislikes an element there are hundreds who love it - we're always open to suggestions but when you have over three million people's tastes to cater for it can be an impossible task but I think people understand that.
This week we managed to prise Joe away from his allotment to come to Berryfields and make a start on the season's pond maintenance. Toby has a tree thing going on; the idea of using old logs as winter pots worked a treat, a brilliant addition to the cottage garden, the colour of the cyclamen really brightens that area up and the logs blend so naturally to the surrounding garden. Planting trees is always a good thing in my book, the Liquidambar styraciflua 'Worplesdon' Toby planted has got to be one of the most remarkable show stoppers of the season - not the smallest of trees but what colour! The Cornus kousa var. chinensis 'China Girl' is a favourite of mine, in a small garden it really works for its space, offering something spectacular for every season - if you have a small garden like me this is a tree that definitely makes the grade!
Well the weekend is upon us - for me it always begins on Friday with a large glass of vino in front of the TV at 8.30pm, the rest of my weekend will be devoted to making a fruitcage at the allotment with some recycled scaffold poles and I will be brewing up some of Alys' Rosehip syrup for my porridge - well it is getting cold!
Have fun gardening!
Ben
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