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  Claire Brown May 6, 2010 at 11:46pm

  I think the problem is that Chelsea gardens, are designed for one week in May only, and real gardens are designed for years and years. - This couple had a great idea of what they wanted for the years to come, and a budget to match . The designer was on a hiding to nothing trying to get a garden that could fit 2 completely different briefs.
  Did like the program tho'
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  Kieran Ray May 7, 2010 at 9:00pm

  Did you catch note of their bugjet for the garden?
  
  £250,000!!!!!!
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  Paul @ Ashgate Garden Care May 7, 2010 at 10:40pm

  Bet the designer was papping himself when he had to ring the client and tell them he only had a silver at Chelsea.
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  Harriet Sinden May 8, 2010 at 1:23pm

  I found the programme very interesting! At first thought the clients could have been a nightmare but by the end I had grown fond of them; they knew what they wanted and would do anything to get it. Quite admirable really.
  
  I do agree that the designer didn't embrace the brief that the clients had given him - near enough 'blagging' his Silver winning Garden into theirs. It was painful having to watch him tell them he'd only got Silver 'Haha!'.
  
  As i'm just starting out I feel wrong to say whether this programme is causing a problem for the industry or not. I agree they haven't focused heavily on budget and time constraints (which would be of great interest to me) but I don't think they've given a false impression of what landscape works actually mean.
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  Graham Parker May 9, 2010 at 4:13pm

  Can I point out I have been in the landscape industry for close on 40 years and my comments were on the back of that.
  
  As I said some designers are great and listen to what the client wants. Some think they are so good the client should accept there design whatever it is.
  
  I have worked for a few of each over the years including one who would not take my word for the fact his design would not work in the clients garden. He kept on insisting that his design was perfect until I poimted out that if we follwed his design to the letter then the clients feature path would end 3 metres into the neighbours garden.
  
  I will be very surprised if the chelsea garden in this program is still there as designed in 12 months time.
  
  The best results come from designers who listen and interperate the clients instructions not those that think they know best. Maybe the designer on the show and yourself fit into the second catagory. Don't mean to be rude.
  
  thegardensurgery.com said:

  I am actually enjoying this show, and i don`t want to be rude but you will only really get where this show is coming from if you are a designer and landscaper..
  Each and everyday I design someone's garden and hope they like it and then have the pressure of delivering it on time and in budget and when its constructed its what they imagined, Because if you don`t its gutting very gutting !
  You could not begin to understand the how complex and detailed it is being a garden designer and then actually being onsite creating the dream garden. Anyone can cut a hedge or mow a lawn but the question is can they do it as well as you can !
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  Dan Frazer Gardening May 9, 2010 at 4:53pm

  To me the programme is meant to be a little fantasy. To make it about average gardens and average people and budgets would be nowhere near as interesting.
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  claudia de yong May 9, 2010 at 5:16pm

  There are bound to be a huge range of arguments raised by any programme like this and they will continue as Television has changed a great deal in the way things are edited and presented with much more empahsis on personality rather than anything else.
  
  It is oviously very difficult to please everyone , you only have to listen to people commenting on show gardens when they walk around. Having designed six and built them, I am acutely aware of the difference between show gardens and those which are for clients.
  
  Often designers are also not involved in the build and that I think is a great mistake. Interpreting a clients wishes is essential as we all know they are the ones who will be enjoying the fruits of your design and hard labour. I often have couples who have different ideas and some who say just get on with it-whatever the brief , you have to learn to be diplomatic and really appreciate the full complexity of what is involved.
  
  It is hard when budgets are bandied around as people seem to have different attitudes to what something is worth. Too often in TV you will never fully know the true cost of things and with landscaping as you all know, a great deal of money is buried below ground!
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  pete May 9, 2010 at 5:49pm

  Nicely said Claudia – and Jan, I know how you feel --- Our TV's bust, will be getting a new one for the World Cup though!
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  Kieran Ray May 9, 2010 at 7:24pm

  I believe this would probably be more interesting, but only if they tracked different gardens simultaneously and done them so each episode had that weeks work, more so people can actually see what happens, maybe less people will be shocked when their own garden looks like a building site!
  
  Dan Frazer Gardening said:

  To me the programme is meant to be a little fantasy. To make it about average gardens and average people and budgets would be nowhere near as interesting.
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  Harriet Sinden May 9, 2010 at 8:38pm

  I agree.
  
  Dan Frazer Gardening said:

  To me the programme is meant to be a little fantasy. To make it about average gardens and average people and budgets would be nowhere near as interesting.