Leaves From My Garden

pages from the Notebooks of ..........Helen Cronin

  • Helen’s Garden
    • About the Garden
    • Garden Photo Challenge
      • About The Challenge
      • About The Garden Photo Challenge
      • Garden Photo Challenge Weeks 1-10
      • Garden Photo Challenge: Weeks 11-20
      • Garden Photo Challenge: Weeks 21 – 30
      • Garden Photo Challenge: Weeks 31 – 40
      • Garden Photo Challenge: Weeks 41 – 52
  • Gardener
    • Design
    • DIY
    • Gardening
    • Flower Garden
    • Kitchen Garden
  • Homemaker
    • Craft Projects
    • Natural Skincare
    • Recipes
      • Pickles and Preserves – General Notes
        • Preserves
      • Teatime Treats
  • Free eBook

About the Garden

The Making of a TV Programme – Part Two

The main bulk of the rebuilding of the garage/workshop had been completed despite the wettest possible two months. Terry our builder (and my Father-in-Law) had made a tremendous effort to keep building. He just kept working to stay on target for the deadline. It was such bad timing but we had agreed it would be done for filming to start at the beginning of March 2014. And so begins The Making of a TV Programme – Part Two

The proposed area for the Norwegian garden in Dorset

How the garden looked one month before filming started!

The start of filming a TV Programme – in our Garden

By the time we were to start filming the actual work of gardening here at Dovewood, Tim and I had had the ‘pleasure’ of working with the TV Production Team for 5 months. I had regular telephone calls from the Producer or his Assistant asking whether: the Time-lapse Camera was working or asking how the build was progressing.

Eeek! I can’t tell you how many times that got me scampering up the ladder to check that camera! One day I nearly knocked myself out when I hit my face on the ladder as I went to check on it yet again. They sometimes the TV Producer checked, double-checked, and treble checked, what we were doing and when. Only to then change their plans!

Tim and I were under strict instructions not to change anything without running it passed the team first. However, some work had to be done between film days so that we were ready for the next stage of filming.

Our film gang

It was suggested by the Producer that the first full day of filming should be a day when we gathered our friends to help. I asked my BFF Sue to come. Obviously my father-in-law was already on site so it was only natural that mother-in-law Gill should come too. We asked our long suffering neighbour Roger if he would like to take part (He and his wife Deidre endured the most from the noise, dust and mess of the build. One of the new workshop walls was on the boundary of our two properties).

We also asked Josh (Sue’s son) came to help – as a ‘Thank you’. He had gallantly come to the garden, when I had been panicked by the TV crew. I needed a gazebo put up at very short notice before Monty Don’s first visit as shelter from the forecast rain. Josh had come to the rescue. They decided not use it in the end…..

Lights! Camera! Action!

Tim and I had to wear microphones – I warned everyone about what they said to us, even off camera, as the Crew could hear everything when anyone spoke. Don’t ask me how I know, it’s too embarrassing!

Sue and Gill were put to work painting some new fence panels. I asked Roger to dig out the last few plants along the remaining bit of border by his fence. Joshua and I started lifting turf from the Lawn, or what was left of it. Tim’s Dad finished the final bit of stonework at the top of the wall – the only time the Producer wanted to film him building on site. That was tough after all the effort he had put in and was cut out of the final TV programme.

All fairly normal gardening stuff until a TV Production crew are involved. Surprisingly we managed to get most of the planned work, done.

End of first day filming the Norwegian garden

The last bit of filming for the day was Tim and Terry inserting the pipe into the wall by the reservoir, and up out of the bed to the head of the waterfall. Finally we managed to roll some of the boulders to near-enough their final positions. We used the Stonehenge method of boards and poles to move them. Tim and I (with direction from Sue who was holding the Plan) then used a hose-pipe to mark the line of the water feature.  You can see a clip of this work being done if you click on this link

Question and answers

The second big mistake of the project I made was saying that it would take a fortnight to re-landscape the garden! (The first was changing the building schedule to the wettest part of the year) Funny that… you get asked a point blank question, and give a no frills reply, and the Production team hung on to the answer like a dog with a bone!

Yet some of our answers to their questions never seemed to get logged into the relevant brain…(sigh) Umpteen times I told them what the design was, and who was doing what and when. Even the name of one particular plant, and to my everlasting annoyance, it didn’t even get a mention in the finished production!

What I should have said was: “If I had no other commitments, perfect weather, and endless energy, I could do the actual physical work of carving out the ground, landscaping the site and setting up the water feature in a fortnight of working 8-10 hours a day”! But we were still trying to cope with wet weather. We were waiting for the ground to dry enough to be able to dig. Tim had to get back to work. I was working part-time. House work and caring for the Dogs had to be fitted in. Time was running out……

Making Progress

The Ground landscaped for the water feature

Suddenly the ground was dry enough! So I managed to dig the whole pond area, the Stream and the reservoir in THREE days! All the spoil had to be carted to the back garden and shovelled into Dumpy bags. The bags had be taken by a Lorry with an Hi-ab arm to lift the bags up and out over the fence. I think I moved 3-4 tonnes that week. Incredibly tiring and something I never wanted to ever have to do, ever again! (Oops! I went on to move 28 tonnes of soil, etc when we did the other side of the garden in 2016. Will I never learn? You can read about the creation of The New Garden here)

To read Part 1 of The making of a TV Programme you can read the post HERE

For Part 3 of this mini-series The Making of a TV Programme you can read it HERE

And to read the final part of The Making of a TV Programme see this POST

For more detail about the Pond construction you can read about it HERE

Sharing is caring!

0 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet


2 Comments

« The Making of a TV Programme – Part One
The Making of a TV Programme with Monty Don – Part Three »

Comments

  1. Diana Stephens says

    May 8, 2017 at 9:55 am

    Thanks for the chat, Helen.

    Reply
    • Helen Cronin says

      May 8, 2017 at 11:25 am

      Glad to help Diana

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Hello! Welcome to Leaves From My Garden

Cameo of Helen Cronin

My name is Helen Cronin

I am here to share my love of gardening with you, and to help you create, grow and nurture your garden. To encourage you to turn your ordinary space into a beautiful place, and to enjoy everything your garden and gardening can give you.

Sign up for the LFMG Newsletter and get your free copy of the eBook today!

Buy your Garden Design book – click on the image to read more

Categories

Recommended Resources

Follow me

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Leaves From My Garden on Instagram

View through my kitchen window ... the Acer palmat View through my kitchen window ... the Acer palmatum in all its glory
🍁
🍂
🍁
#acerpalmatum #autumncolours🍂🍁 #autumninmygarden
I would love to back at Iford Manor- such a beauti I would love to back at Iford Manor- such a beautiful place. But today I'll be battling Wisteria, bindweed and an overgrown lawn at home
.
.
.
#ifordmanor #gardensilove #myhappyspace #ilovemygarden #idontlikebindweed #prunewisteria #mowthelawn
Purple cone flower being enjoyed by a visitor🦋 Purple cone flower being enjoyed by a visitor🦋
.
.
.Edited 
#butterfliesinmygarden #smalltortoiseshellbutterfly #cottagegarden #cottagegardenflowers #dorsetgarden #ilovebutterflies
Just a little storm brewing over the Blackmore Val Just a little storm brewing over the Blackmore Vale😏.
.
.
.
#stormyweather #summerstorms #dorsetlife #blackmoorvale #nearmyvillage #countryliving
Load More… Follow on Instagram

  • Home
  • About Leaves From My Garden
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

Copyright © 2022 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2022 · Divine Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptReject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT

Privacy settings

Privacy Settings

This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. Which cookies and scripts are used and how they impact your visit is specified on the left. You may change your settings at any time. Your choices will not impact your visit.

NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using.

Instagram

Instagram receives information via the Instagram component that the data subject has visited our website provided that the data subject is logged in at Instagram at the time of the call to our website. This occurs regardless of whether the person clicks on the Instagram button or not. If such a transmission of information to Instagram is not desirable for the data subject, then he or she can prevent this by logging off from their Instagram account before a call-up to our website is made.

Amazon

On this website, the controller has integrated Amazon components as a participant in the Amazon partner program. The Amazon components were created by Amazon with the aim to mediate customers through advertisements on various websites of the Amazon group, in particular Amazon.co.uk, Local.Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, BuyVIP.com, Amazon.fr, Amazon.it and Amazon.es in return for the payment of a commission. By using the Amazon components, the controller may generate advertising revenue.

MailerLite

During the registration for the newsletter, we also store the IP address of the computer system assigned by the Internet service provider (ISP) – Mailerlite – and used by the data subject at the time of the registration, as well as the date and time of the registration. The collection of this data is necessary in order to understand the (possible) misuse of the e-mail address of a data subject at a later date, and it therefore serves the aim of the legal protection of the controller.

The personal data collected as part of a registration for the newsletter will only be used to send our newsletter. In addition, subscribers to the newsletter may be informed by e-mail, as long as this is necessary for the operation of the newsletter service or a registration in question, as this could be the case in the event of modifications to the newsletter offer, or in the event of a change in technical circumstances. There will be no transfer of personal data collected by the newsletter service to third parties. The subscription to our newsletter may be terminated by the data subject at any time. The consent to the storage of personal data, which the data subject has given for shipping the newsletter, may be revoked at any time. For the purpose of revocation of consent, a corresponding link is found in each newsletter. It is also possible to unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time directly on the website of the controller, or to communicate this to the controller in a different way.

Pinterest

Pinterest receives information via the Pinterest component that the data subject has visited our website, provided that the data subject is logged in at Pinterest at the time of the call-up to our website. This occurs regardless of whether the person clicks on the Pinterest component or not. If such a transmission of information to Pinterest is not desirable for the data subject, then he or she may prevent this by logging off from their Pinterest account before a call-up to our website is made.

Facebook

Facebook always receives, through the Facebook component, information about a visit to our website by the data subject, whenever the data subject is logged in at the same time on Facebook during the time of the call-up to our website. This occurs regardless of whether the data subject clicks on the Facebook component or not. If such a transmission of information to Facebook is not desirable for the data subject, then he or she may prevent this by logging off from their Facebook account before a call-up to our website is made.

Google Analytics

The purpose of the Google Analytics component is to analyze the traffic on our website. Google uses the collected data and information, inter alia, to evaluate the use of our website and to provide online reports, which show the activities on our websites, and to provide other services concerning the use of our Internet site for us.

Powered by Cookie Information