Home & garden makeover programmes

Garden makeovers for tv shows are made up and filmed to be good visually on tv, both the process and the finished result. Whether the gardens are practical is entirely irrelevant, as long as they look good and draw viewers in.

People forget this with so much they see on tv, whatever the subject its primary purpose is look good on tv and garner viewers.

A lot of the makeovers remove wardrobes and do not have much storage or anywhere to put wet washing.

One of the ladies that I play bridge with was lucky enough to win a complete garden makeover a few years ago. Her lawn and all plants and shrubs were ripped out so that an easily maintained garden could be installed. I think it took about 3 weeks to complete and it certainly looked very smart and different when it was finished. All of the lawn was replaced with timber decking which is now rotting in places and a deathtrap when wet. Replacement costs would be astronomical now and she says she wished she still had her lawns, even though they need mowing.

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One of the ladies that I play bridge with was lucky enough to win a complete garden makeover a few years ago. Her lawn and all plants and shrubs were ripped out so that an easily maintained garden could be installed. I think it took about 3 weeks to complete and it certainly looked very smart and different when it was finished. All of the lawn was replaced with timber decking which is now rotting in places and a deathtrap when wet. Replacement costs would be astronomical now and she says she wished she still had her lawns, even though they need mowing.

The same thing has happened to a friend of mine only she paid for her makeover after her husband died.

The raised beds have now rotted at the corners and the decking looks miserable and drab. She was also persuaded to create a wild patch which is now full of plantain.

I want to scream every time I hear the words Low Maintenance. There’s no such thing if you want a nice garden.

My grandparents gardened well into their late eighties. Not a hanging basket or tub in sight, let alone a raised bed. The garden was neat, productive and pretty and Grandpa used to say, ‘All you need is a hoe and some sharp secateurs to keep it tidy.’

The old ways are often the best!