Remind me why I watch the gardening shows ?

[ERICS MUM]

Just switched on, mouth full of bread and jam, to see RJ extolling the virtues of Lady Boothby climbing fuchsia. The lies that came out of that man's mouth:

1. RJ: They will grow to 8 feet this season.

EM: NEVER - the plugs are rooted tip cuttings, about 1.50 inches high and only one "stem" with 3 leaves. They will need pinching out several times to produce the number of stems they show in the video, and each pinching out should be 3/4 weeks apart.

2. RJ: They are climbers.

EM: Lady Boothby is known as a loose-stemmed fuchsia with long thin arching stems thst "dance" in the breeze - that's their beauty. I suppose if you didn't pinch out the stems they would grow long but they would need tying in quite well to keep them upright and they would lose that dainty bouncing habit.

3. RJ: They are hardy - tough as old boots

EM: They will be tough next winter if they develop a good root system during the summer and are fed properly. If they go out this spring they would be damaged if hit by frost/snow.

4. RJ: Easy to grow on the window sill until you put them out

EM: Fuchsias are prone to red spider mite if grown in dry, warm conditions. They could die within a couple of weeks from it.

5. RJ: Marvellous value for money

EM: My local garden centre will be selling "grown on" plants 9 inches high/wide in May for about £4. So you could get 3 for the price of these 5 cuttings, with £1.45 left over for a packet of seeds.

Sorry to sound like Percy Thrower, but I've been gardening for 40 odd years and this is just basic stuff - he should be ashamed of himself.

Linda xx

 

[Brissles]

Doesn't he say the same things about every plant he describes ? according to him, they can all be grown on a windowsill until planted out, everything is ideal for planting in tubs, and they are all as hardy as old boots !!!! and of course, not forgetting the blooms the size of dinner plates if you use his own brand feed.

I could do his job, he just repeats the same stuff in a different way. (I think I could qualify, my surname is PLANT !!)

 

[madmax]

Hear hear, I couldn't have put it better myself, he is full of sh!t and should be composted and spread on to the garden.
That way we would all save on his over sold plants and over priced plant food.
Lets support our local garden centers where you can the advice that is relevant for your soil type and weather conditions, which vary so much over the country.
Happy gardening what ever the weather.
Karen

 

[BusyLizzie]

Because you are secretly RJ's biggest fan and hope with all your heart that true love will blossom! :wink:

 

[madmax]

Because you are secretly RJ's biggest fan and hope with all your heart that true love will blossom! :wink:

That will be the only thing blossoming looking at the quality of the plants he is selling.

 

[Moth]

Because you are secretly RJ's biggest fan and hope with all your heart that true love will blossom! :wink:

You'll be happy then, what with the three TSV's and many many hours of him that are scheduled over the next few weeks. Joy!! RJ is perhaps a real chip of the old QVC block - they are both full of s**t. I don't have a garden now but still visit the local garden centre because I like to wander and look at the plants. I'd never want to do that if it was full of the stuff "he" sells. I love gardening but can't bear this boring, incorrect, drivel.

 

[Dibbles]

I never buy plants from QVC because they never give the information I actually need. Ie, how high/wide they grow. What sort of light do they need? Do they suit an acidic or alciline soil? Loose and well drained or heavy clay? What I don't need to hear is 'COOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRR Look at those ROOTS!!!!' every two bleedin' minutes. As alot of the plants seem to come from Thompson and Morgan, I would rather go there, where there is the chance of some decent info at least.

 

[minim]

Because you are secretly RJ's biggest fan and hope with all your heart that true love will blossom! :wink:

Yeah ...
You dig him :heart:



sorry!

 

[BusyLizzie]

Yeah ...
You dig him :heart:



sorry!

No, not me flower - I meant Erics Mum! All this has stemmed from her opening post........:tongue:

 

[Tilley]

Richard Jackson and the Gardening shows

We bought those "climbing fushias". One or two grew but need tying in. We have also bought the hibiscus, cala lilies and others things but learnt our lesson as we only had one cala lily grow and have never ever seen anything on the hibiscus - oh also the tree peonies, dead as door nails. Never again. Mind you, we never used his overpriced growing stuff!!!

 

[Caroleanne]

He`s the `Gardening Glen`

 

[Frazzled]

I think he's a right Herbert!

 

[ERICS MUM]

No, not me flower - I meant Erics Mum! All this has stemmed from her opening post........:tongue:

Me and RJ ? Not blooming likely ! He's too weedy for me, I prefer a more sturdy specimen.

 

[ERICS MUM]

Plants such as hibiscus and peonies aren't easy to grow and need a lot of attention which is why they are expensive in garden centres/nurseries. I've never seen them sold as bare roots anywhere else. Anyone succeeding with these plants from QVC will do so against the odds, and QVC/RJ will absolutely know this which is what really annoys me.

The only plants I know of that are widely sold as bare rooted are roses, soft fruit and wall flowers, all of which can "hit the ground running" and romp away with the help of sun and rain.

 

[iloveshopping]

i am really annoyed that QVC are selling peat compost. Peat is non renewable and there are plenty of re
newal growing mediums. I wonder if RHS Wisley would let him do the promotional shoots if they knew?