Beechgrove garden on BBC Scotland with Cyril Lafong

[TC]

I have just been watching the Beechgrove Garden featuring Cyril Lafong.  I have taken some pictures for our overseas forum members to give an idea of his garden and glasshouse.

[Carlo]

Thanks Tom...great little feature.

[hadacekf]

Thank you for the interesting pitures.

[Martinr]

Us exiles will have to wait till it appears on the BBC iplayer to watch it. Tomorrow night's agenda.

[ranunculus]

Very impressed Tom. Not only with Cyril's magnificent set-up but also your 'stills' work.  Many thanks.

[Maggi Young]

Well done, Tom! What a great idea. I was frustrated to find out that there was no chance to watch the BBC Scotland programme on one of the other Sky channels for those elsewhere.... amazing really when you think of some of the stuff that they make widely available. edit: I see from the Tern TV page that the programme was supposedly available on Sky channel 971 ...... couldn't find it myself 
Cyril Lafong, called by the BBC on their website "Cyril Le Fong" ....."George Anderson creates an intensely planted fruit and veg garden for Kevin and Susan Lawrence in Bishopbriggs, as well as visiting Cyril Le Fong, who grows and exhibits multi-award-winning alpines in Glenrothes."

The piece showed a happy Cyril in his beautiful garden... at a time (filmed a couple of weeks ago) when the Corydalis where carpeting the beds and looking really lovely. The plants in his a glasshouse are beyond wonderful, of course, and Cyrill gave some hints about how to succeed ...."well drained, but moisture retentive compost and good ventilation and light" ...says it all really! On the Beechgrove Garden website of Tern TV, the company who ake the programme fr the BBC, they have Cyril as " La Fong" .... poor chap, must not know who he is after all this
The website has a fact sheet about the programme, which gives a little info about the piece and about the fact that Cyril has given the Beechgrove Garden a selection of super alpines for their garden.
Having spoken about Cyril's vast number of Forrest Medals on the piece, the only reference to what a Forrest Medal is ( which must have greatly puzzled many viewers) is in the programme factsheet " Cyril is so good at what he does that he has won over 26 Forrest Medals (for more information see www.srgc.org.uk), and what is it that he does so well? He grows Alpines."

Cyril was interviewed by George Anderson,  formerly of the RBGE and presently President of the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society, a man who adds much to the programmes presenter line-up...... I think it is a pity he is not on more often.

[Maggi Young]

See how that crevice garden  in picture seven (2009 04 16 Cyril Lafong 010.jpg ) was built here: http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=2719.0

[Maggi Young]

Beechgrove Factsheet for the programme  featuring Cyril is here:
http://www.thebeechgrovegarden.com/fact_files/FACTSHEET_03_2009.pdf

[mark smyth]

I can see the programme on Sky 971

Who knew he would be on but didnt say?

[Maggi Young]

No Mark, He was on the TV tonight..... BBC1 at 7.30pm (...the Potting Shed is a radio programme that Ian and I work on.)
Susan gave us the heads up just before the programme.... I couldn't find it was showing other than on BBC 1 until afterwards! 

[mark smyth]

I would guess that iplayer doesnt show BBC Scotland programmes just like our programmes

[TC]

Very impressed Tom. Not only with Cyril's magnificent set-up but also your 'stills' work.  Many thanks.

It's really quite easy.  Set the shutter speed to 1/60 second ( or less) on shutter priority, square the camera with the screen - beware of any reflections - and shoot.
On digital TV you have an option to freeze frame the picture which makes it even easier.  The only post photographic work is to square up the picture and then downsize it for the web.

[Lvandelft]

Tom, a great idea to show us some pictures of this TV programme, which I am never able to see here,
and see some shots of the garden and the glasshouse of this great gardener.
I'm very impressed by the spacious glasshouse of Cyril. I'm sure this is very important to get the plants
the best ventilation inside.

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks so much for these Tom, great to see the Secret Squirrel and a little of his garden. Those raised beds look really brilliant, full of so many wonderful plants.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Thanks a lot Tom ! 
Very interesting to see even a glimpse of Cyril's garden and glass houses.
Thanks for the added info Maggi !

I hope to see some more pictures of the new crevice garden later on as it develops.