Pots of 'Hidcote' Lavender laid out ready to be planted.
Once upon a time, there was a new cable channel. It was called Home and Garden Television (HGTV). It had lots of gardening programs on it, such as "A Gardener's Diary" and "A Gardener's Journal." Time passed, and the powers that be at HGTV realized that they were getting more bang for their buck on home improvement programs, so the evil networkmeisters cut back on the gardening programs. Back when I haunted the fora of Fine Gardening (as "borzoi") and GardenWeb (as "entling"), there were a lot of gardeners who were, quite frankly, honked off at HGTV for its lack of gardening programs. There was even a campaign to bring back "A Gardener's Diary." Alas, the campaign was only partly successful, as the program returned to HGTV, but only as reruns. Currently, "A Gardener's Diary" , the only "gardening" program on HGTV worth watching, is on at 6 a.m. Central Time on Thursdays (but I always forget to watch it and I can't record it, as they kids have taken over the DVD recorder). Unlike like the other "gardening" programs (using the term very loosely) on HGTV, "A Gardener's Diary" is about gardeners and the gardens they have created.
Recently, the blogging gardeners on Plurk, Robin of Bumblebee Blog and the Gardening Examiner, Cindy of From My Corner of Katy, Elizabeth of Gardening While Intoxicated and Garden Rant, Mary Ann of Idaho Gardener, and Carol of May Dreams Gardens, Vanillalotus of New Sprout, and Dee from Red Dirt Ramblings, were again complaining about the lack of gardening programs on HGTV. We agreed that the name "HGTV" is misleading, as it is really a channel about only home improvement or buying and selling real estate, so we resolved to join together to demand that HGTV either put its programming where its name is, or drop the "G" in "HGTV."
So now I'm making it official: HGTV, either put on more actual gardening programs or change the name! If Outdoor Living Network could successfully change its name, so can you, but we gardeners would all prefer that you simply put some gardening into your network. Or is that too much to ask?
26 comments:
Here here!
Agreed. Now I need to rate because I am peeved.
Hi there MMD :-)
Perhaps between you all you could organise a garden blog/online petition. Maybe they would take notice then?
Here! Here! And very well put. You've brought up something about HGTV's garden programming that has been bothering me for several years. About the only good thing I get out of HGTV is their Web site's gardening newsletter. It's pretty good. But I'd sure love to see them put more effort into their gardening programming.
Right on! Power to the gardeners, I posted as well on HGTV's lack of gardening programming.
Hi MMD, this is a sore subject for me as well. Kudos for bringing it to the fore.
I must say though, my husband is not unhappy that HGTV has taken the G out of their programming, if not their network's name.
Amen Sister. Remove that G or add the appropriate programing.
Three cheers MMD! I agree completely, it use to be my favorite channel to watch, but now the stuff they show isn't what I had in mind.
Hi MMD, first of all, get some backbone and rescue the dvr from the kids and start taping Gardening by the yard with Paul James. He is the only thing they have and he is on early mornings. But I agree completely that they need more more more. HGTV is located near us in Knoxville and I used to be very excited about that in the beginning and love the two shows you mentioned. They were wonderful, entertaining and educational. I hate all the new shows, all reality and people with no clue. I do or did like Divine Design but that is gone now too. At least we have the blogs, no shortage of garden articles there!
Amen! I'll make up some picket signs and put on my walking shoes, if you just tell me where to sign up!
I have been thinking much the same thing this past year. I used to watch several of the gardening shows on a regular basis, especially during the summer or early in the morning while I was fixing my hair. I also liked "Curb Appeal" in the afternoon, which technically might not be considered a gardening show, but had some good ideas. HGTV is partly responsible for getting me interested in gardening!
I find it ironic, too, that all these "Flip this House" type shows are so popular when the real estate market is so depressed.
Oh my, I could go on and on...I am ready to jump on the bandwagon!
I totally agree with you! I have recorded almost all of the episodes of "A Gardener's Diary" which I truly love. I'm not a big fan of Paul James though.
I had forgotten that the "G" in HGTV stood for garden! I just refer to it as the home remodeling channel.
These companies don't even care if the acronym accurately describes the channel. Does the "TLC" channel really have anything to do with learning?
I wouldn't be surprised if "HGTV" isn't technically an acronym anymore. Kind of like "ESPN" isn't an acronym for "Entertainment Sports Programming Network" like it was when it was first on the air.
I do agree that some gardening shows would be nice. South Carolina ETV has a decent show called "Making it Grow" that has good info. Other than that, I get all my gardening info online.
Have you turned on regular tv...it's all about reality shows! Whose reality I can't even begin to imagine!
You are so right MMD...the garden shows are not really garden shows...Please! They don't know what they are doing. Sign me up for the picket lines!
Gail
Well said MMG - apparently garden shows are a weak revenue stream for them which is too bad. Based upon how many garden bloggers are out there - you'd think they'd have a captive audience.
Maybe the powers that be figured out how many gardeners don't even have cable because we spent the cable money on plants.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
MMD, I have been thinking the same thing for months now. HGTV used to be about all I watched. Now, I am thinking of canceling it-why pay for something you don't watch? Send me a petition!
The Wisconsin Gardener on Public TV was the only garden show I ever thought was worth much. I don't have cable so I never saw the other ones you mentioned.
Marnie
What about "Gardening by the Yard"? It's the only show on HGTV I have programmed for my DVR.
Maybe I should forward these links to HGTV, do yo tink they'd get the hint? The powers that be over there apparently don't like me anyway since I was basically kicked off the message boards for "advertising" my blog there. It's a LONG story. Anyway, I heartily agree with everything everyone has said. I am sick of watching the show's reruns.
My kingdom for a decent gardening show that doesn't put me to sleep!!! Why can't they come up with a good show for that hot Australian from the Victory Garden? Minus the cooking, please.
Hi, everybody, it's good to know how many of us there are who are irked by this.
Frances & Tyler Allison, I'm sorry, but I just can't get into Paul James. He's not my cup of joe.
Phillip - if "A Gardener's Diary" came out on DVD, I'd be standing in line to buy the complete series.
Hap & Marnie - I'm so jealous of the regional gardening programs on TV. You'd think with Chicago the size that it is it could come up with more than a radio call-in program on gardening.
Annie - so we're our own worst enemies! We're that fringe group of weirdos who don't subscribe to the consumerist culture of newest, fastest, biggest, unless those things refer to plants.
Cinj - if I thought it would make an ounce of difference, I'd say send it. But, being the cynic that I am, I don't expect any positive changes.
Wicked Gardener - our PBS station has moved the Victory Garden to some stupid time that I never remember about, so I haven't even watched that recently, although I might have to tune in for this new guy. I now have visions of Hugh Jackman with a pair of large pruners.
I agree.....Used to be my favorite shows. Those programs along with the old Victory Garden...taught me the love of gardening. WGN radio had a gardening program on in the evening (I believe on Sat.) with Kathy O'Malley...that was a great show too.
Another series on PBS was the 3000 Mile Garden. I have the book and wanted a DVD....but none available.
Hi MMD,
You're absolutely right about the devolution from the G in HGTV. Before we had satellite, I was on a business trip to Toronto and my hotel had (the old) HGTV on and I was hooked! Heck, they don't even have that show with the obnoxious English guy in London on anymore, come to think about it!
I caught an episode of Victory Garden (after many years) this past weekend on PBS and was very disappointed. Too many short segments that weren't nearly as informative as they could have been. And that Aussie dude? He's no Hugh Jackman. I'm a long time fan of (hubba hubba) Hugh and this guy just doesn't cut it. LOL, I'm such a snob, eh?
IVG - I'll take your word for it about the Victory Garden guy. I guess it's not worth the trouble to find out when it's on.
I agree! I also loved watching a Gardener's Diary and thought, "wow what a thoughtful show." Now I can't even find that. I don't need to watch landscapers challenge, I want to see real gardeners who actually care about plants, not just curb appeal and pink flowers.
MMD,
I just linked to your post on a new entry on www.GardenBloggers.com on a subject related to this. Have you seen Create TV? It is a PBS station that I'm now picking up with the use of a tv converter box and it has gardening shows.
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