Normally I would delete an email with the words "New Gardening Shows on DIY Network" in the subject line. And even if I did open the email, I would be highly suspicious of an opening line like: "Being a Northern Californian, I'm not sure you're as excited as I am for the warm weather and sunshine -- but here in NY, this week definitely marks the beginning of Spring and we've got our sights all set on Summer. And of course, that means getting our yards ready. As a gardening afficionado yourself, I thought you'd be interested to hear about..."
Because of course, the intern at the Search Engine Optimization firm that DIY hired to send this email is probably not actually getting his/her yard ready for anything.
And here at GardenRant, we go all year long, baby. Even if that means pounding our fists on the block of ice that is our front yard in the middle of January. Get ready? We're always ready.
And besides, I just hate the idea of someone's viral marketing campaign actually working.
But I gotta say, Ahmed Hassan's kind of hot. And he hangs around garden centers and asks if he can go home with you.
Yeah.
Check out this guy who questions his gardening cred:
one more for your Monday morning:
A lot of the garden designers/landscapers I know around here are full of personality and some are cute. I know they could do fun shows.
I had already heard that DIY had some decent shows--just can't bring myself to watch any of the how-to networks.
Posted by: eliz | April 21, 2008 at 06:02 AM
i concur about his hotness! i'm pretty sick of these gimmicky shows but he makes them a little more bearable, don't you think?
Posted by: gina | April 21, 2008 at 06:04 AM
anybody notice he's offering coaching to these customers? They'll be doing some of the work themselves and learning, he says.
Maybe coaches should try this guy's parking lot technique to get new clients - whadaya think?
Posted by: susan harris | April 21, 2008 at 06:17 AM
"If you don't charge us, I don't need to know anything". hahaha Sounds good to me!
Seriously, if any landscaper approached me, I'd start running. I'm sure they would only be hawking pavers.
Posted by: Maureen | April 21, 2008 at 07:15 AM
Send him my way.
I have tons of gardening work that he can do for free and film it at the same time.
Just as long as he doesn't do shoddy short cut work so that they can film the entire project in one shoot.
I'm all for educating the public about quality landscape design, appropriate site analysis, proper construction and horticultural installation and the realistic maintenance and costing allowance to properly do a landscape project.
Last time I spoke with the production manager at a DIY network they were not interested in the real inner workings of what it really takes to pull off a garden installation.
They wanted “entertainment” . Period.
They also had unrealistic time frames in which to accomplish excellent craftsmanship using skilled craftspeople.
If a designer or building contractor picks up any willing consumer off a parking lot , drives home with them and then starts working immediately on their project I would venture to say that there was not a whole lot of pre-construction or design thought given to the project.
This may make for good (?) television entertainment but as far as quality design and installation work, I don’t see how quality workmanship and design could be accomplished.
How entertaining will it be for the homeowner to have to rebuild their project a few months or years down the line due to poor preparation and hasty installation?
I guess some homeowners are willing to do this for their 15 minutes of tv fame.
Put this show and this handsome gentleman in the right perspective. He’s providing entertainment not quality time honored well crafted landscape design and construction installation.
Posted by: Michelle Derviss | April 21, 2008 at 09:22 AM
Yes, he's cute and charming, but more insta-gardens. How realistic is that? The essential ingredient in gardening--time--is not TV friendly.
Posted by: Michele Owens | April 21, 2008 at 09:44 AM
So we all agree that interviewing people and showing the progress of their gardens over TIME would be much better, right? Like what the WashPost is doing in video on their website, following a few community gardeners over a season. Interesting mix of media here, especially looking at who's getting it right and who's wasting the opportunity to teach - let me amend that - misinforming the public about gardening.
Posted by: susan harris | April 21, 2008 at 10:11 AM
I can hear it now, "He followed me home, can I keep him?"
Will this be another insta-garden show or will it actually provide valuable information? Time will tell. Let's hope they keep this in mind: Gardening is the slowest of the performing arts. (Obviously, I agree, too, Susan.) However, if they can take some of the mystic out of simple garden projects (not everything has to be rocket science) and get more people excited about gardening, that would be a good thing.
That first video was hilarious!
Posted by: Lisa Albert | April 21, 2008 at 10:46 AM
shudder...the idea of a self-professed professional "working" in my garden! I'd be a complete nervous wreck within minutes, shouting "Don't step THERE! That's my (insert latin name for plant here)! Oh, and not THERE! That's the (another latin name)!"
I don't trust ANYONE to weed in my garden except me. Mother does so, but I'm NOT HAPPY about it. And when she goes out to "clip and clean up"? I just about have to leave the country!
NOBODY loves my plant babies the way I love my plant babies, and I don't ever want landscape design to hurt them. I'm not even sure I'd be willing to let a professional come in and pot up my containers. And nobody needs a professional to fetch another sack of potting soil, to put some fertilizer in the hand-held broadcast sprayer and crank away, or to sort all the accumulated plastic pots and put the ones I won't use in the recycle bin.
It's MY garden, all MINE MINE MIIIIINNNNEEE!!!! and I don't want anyone else "working" in it!
Posted by: grouchylisa | April 22, 2008 at 01:08 AM
Ahmed's a playa! Look at him working his magic. He is smooooooth. Wow. Why does he want to go home with these men, again?
Posted by: Benjamin Vogt | April 22, 2008 at 03:49 PM
I am afraid that I have the same opinion as grouchylisa:nobody but nobody touches my garden!Dont care how cute,how free or how much TV time.It's all mine,only to be shared with other Gardencrazies for the purpose of furthering my own enjoyment by showing and talking about every wonderful plant that grows here.
Posted by: luise h. | April 22, 2008 at 04:34 PM