Greenmount Garden - TV programme

[mark smyth]

letting you all know in advance that I will be on BBC N Ireland 7.30pm on May3rd. You'll find BBC NI along with all the other local BBCs on Sky.

Here are a few shots of the crew in 'action'

The presenter, Cherrie, and moi

Would we take an over head photo of a flower? No, but the camera man doesnt know that. I told him he needed low level shots. In one and out the other! Imagine someone telling a camera man how to do his shots!

Time lapsed tulips

Sound man, sleeping, and researcher come scribe

[mark smyth]

Did they respect the plants? No. Plants were sat on, a perfect Dianthus crushed, plants stood on "oops didnt see them there", bags placed on them ... In the notes I had to talk about my Rookery. I dont think my two birches could hold even one nest year

[Maggi Young]

We had a live link-up with Cherrie a wee while ago in the Beechgrove Potting Shed...she has a nice voice!
while the Potting Shed is a BBC radio programme, both the Beechgrove Garden and Greenmount Garden programmes are productions of Tern Television, founded and based in Aberdeen. One of the Irish Directors was used for the segment on the London orchid show in this week's programme (you can see it again via the BBC website).
As far as I can make out, in Aberdeen we can watch BBC Northern Ireland TV programmes on SKY channel 973. The programme is called Greenmount Garden, that's not the name of Mark's garden!

[mark smyth]

Last night John Cushnie said the Corydalis is named after the (Common) Swift because it looks like one flying. Out of interest I looked it up. Corydalis are actually named after the Greek for the Skylark because both have spurs.

He also planted a 'Jacquemontii' birch under a huge Hornbeam - Carpinus betulus

[fermi de Sousa]

Mark
what a shame that we'll be in Prague on May3rd! You'll have to get a tape or DVD sent over so we get to watch it some time!
Nice to see a few "informal" shots of your garden in the pics you posted.
cheers
fermi

[mark smyth]

tonights the night that I'm on TV, 7.30pm and repeated tomorrow night at 9.30pm GMT. I really hope they do a good job

[Maggi Young]

We were just about to go out with Lily, but now we'll wait and  watch you!

[David Nicholson]

Well done TV Star you were great. Nice to hear an NI accent again. I had to go to my neighbour's house to see the programme 'cause I'm to stingy to pay for digital TV and we can't get Freeview at our place. Neighbour was most impressed with your garden (as I was) and couldn't quite come to terms with the fact we speak (as we do with all other Forumists) on a regular basis.

[mark smyth]

thanks. I'm relieved now that they showed lots of plants

[Maggi Young]

Nipped out with Lil after Mark's slot, just back.
That went very well, Mark. Your garden was looking good and the crevice garden has settled in really well. Your hair was very subdued, why did you not have it spiky?

[Paddy Tobin]

Haven't seen it yet. I'm like David, no satellite channels or whatever. A friend will have recorded it and I will see it on Friday night hopefully. Hope it went well. It's a programme I generally dislike, because of the main presenter.

Paddy

[Luc Gilgemyn]

 

[Anthony Darby]

Watched it last night (9.30 BST Mark). Excellent garden. Even Vivienne was impressed (I have to lie down in a darkened room when she gets a notion to do some weeding )

[Paddy Tobin]

Mark,

Finally got to see the programme after a long wait for a videotape from a friend.

They did the plants proud, showed them very well and a good selection.

Well presented yourself! Looked well, very at ease and very professional. Change of career now?

Only quibble: I would have liked to have seen some more general views of the garden. This is purely my own curiousity and no criticism of anything I saw, all of which was excellent, just to get an overall impression. When you return from Prague you will probably start on a complete overhaul of the planting so it will look like a new garden in a month's time.

Paddy

[mark smyth]

the editor/producer did say I was good - blowing my own trumpet  - and after asking how do I get a break he said watch for BBC ads. I offered my services for next year if needed.

They shot the garden from all angles with no one in it so the producer has no idea. He  did say people would be more interested in the making of the garden and not the plants. I'll not be having them agian unless they pay me a much better rate and I have some in put on how I want the garden to look. They did say they would to come back next Feb to look at Crocus