HOW TO GROW A PLANET / BEES, BUTTERFLIES AND BLOOMS

EXTREMELY useful TT. I am heading off right now to put record on Sky for them both! Thank you so much because I would have missed them if you hadn't put this blog on! :))

Thanks TT... yes very helpful to know. Looked through TV mag this morning, but didnt see these.... :))

That's good to know.
Takes a while to put this info. on GoY, but happy to do it, if appreciated :o)))
A pity the Bees programme on Wednesday clashes with Super Smart Animals on BBC 1...

Cant you record it TT....

thanks TT, thats helpful.
think i saw the first one advertised and thought it looked interesting.

Hi Holly... I'll have to work out how to record one show while watching another.. Lol.

Glad this is helpful for you Sticki ... :o)

Ohh thanks Terra, they sound quite interesting, will have to keep my eye out for them. Hmm wonder if they are on BBC iPlayer

Lol TT.... :))

Hi Sam.. I would guess they will be on i player after they have been broadcast on TV...

Lol. Holly.. technical challenge .. ;o)

Ive just worked out how to put my heating on timer...lol and ive lived here 7 years..... :)))))))))

Lol. There's also hope for me then ;o)

EXTREMELY useful Terra . . . thank you so much! I would never have known as we hardly ever watch. (I sowed the seeds for my wildflower patch last autumn - so I expect I'll learn that I got that wrong, lol.)

:))))))))))))))))))

Hi Sheila..
Thanks for the feed-back. :o)
I don't watch much TV, but I make a note of the best programmes to justify paying for my TV licence ! Lol.

I'm sure your wildflowers will grow well..
looking forward to seeing your photos. :o))

I am pleased to say the Welsh BBC 2 is showing these. It's usually different to the English BBC 2.
Thanks for telling me about these TT. I probably wouldn't have bothered to look. The tv is 'off' more than 'on' in this house :o)

I had to go to HD channel to get the first one as it isn't on here at that time on BBC2, so Scottish viewers, double check, but I think I'm right. :))

I'm glad you're able to watch these shows in Wales and in Scotland...

... I wonder whether Ireland gets the same programmes ?

Thanks, TT, that's well reminded. As KS has noted, we probably get it at a different time. Will need to search for it, though. Sounds like good TV.

Hi Oji ...
hoping you are able to watch these shows :o)

thanx Terra will hope to watch these, will leave myself a note, sent you msg, sorry late answering x

Hi Sandra..
Found your message thanks..
Not late... Your photo will be in my new puzzle blog hopefully published on GoY tomorrow. x

Terra thanks from me as well.

Thanks Terra..I will be recording them both..or rather OH will,on my behalf ! I'm useless with Sky plus..probably because I don't watch much TV either..:o)

glad to help shall look out for the puzzle blog :o)))

Hello Brian, and Bloomer ..
Glad this info. is helpful :o)

Hi Sandra ...
if you get snowed in... there will be three of my quiz blogs for you .. Lol.

Very useful TT. with a sieve head like mine!! Thanks.

Of COURSE they are useful, Terra! How else would I know what else was on the way? Let's hope by Tuesday we have some reception back: those programmes look very interesting. It's not too bad today, despite the snowstorm - OH is watching Rugby and I'm not allowed to make a sound for the next 3 hours or so. Off to catch up with some 'phone calls and some ironing.

Glad these TV blogs are useful, Grandmage and Gattina.

These 2 shows are both new, so maybe the BBC is beginning to realise that more garden theme programmes are very welcome ! :o)

Good luck with TV reception, Gattina !

Fingers are crossed as we speak!

VERY useful TT! Being in Spain we don't get TV papers that are relevant to us, so we have to rely on nice people like you to tell us what's coming on! Keep up the good work!

Oh... That's good to know..
..so glad I'm helping friends in Italy and Spain :o)))

Thanks TT very helpful of you....

Hi Dotty...
These look to be quite interesting programmes.. :o)

V. interesting progs. The idea that plants are a geological force of nature to be reckoned with was put forward by D. Beerling in his book The Emerald Planet (on which I understand this series is based).

I have a daughter living here who is not interested in the same progs as I, so I always use Skyplus for my documentaries and watch at my leisure, the info is very useful Terra, means I can set up and series link, you`d be surprised how many I watch in the early hours when I can`t sleep, lol.

Thanks Puffin2 ...
These should be fascinating series ...

Hi Lincslass ...
I've now put three quizzes on GoY, so that's more for you to do if you are awake in the early hours ! Lol.

There is an article by a Science reporter in todays Daily Mail,about this programme..the headline being" Talking plants ? Yes,you were right Charles "...very interesting,and there will be footage shown as part of this
three-part series..I am really looking forward to watching
them...

i'll have to remember that Terra, thanks...

I find them useful too TT. I never read the TV mag:)
For KarenSusan and other Scottish viewers...Starting at Sky channel 972 - you can get most the regional channels for BBC1, 2 and ITV regions too. Viewers in England and Wales you will probably get BBC 1/2 Scotland if you ever have the desire :))

Rugby and ironing here today Gattina, but I am allowed to speak, lol!

Hi Bloomer ...
I noticed the heading of that Daily Mail Prince Charles article... will go back and read it when I've waded through about 25 quiz answer messages.. Lol.

Glad this info. is useful, Surreylad and Scottish.
I only have freeview and the basic BBC, ITV... etc.

Good luck with the ironing Sheila...
...one way to stay warm.. Lol.

I could have told them that YEARS ago! My biggest problem is knowing whether to jolly them up in English or Italian (If the latter, they'd be too busy sniggering at my grammar to do any serious growing). I've just read the article, and the funniest bit is that geneticists don't have much idea how to use this startling discovery! Why doesn't that surprise me?

I guess you're reading that online, Gattina . . . I must try that . . .

Thank very much, TT, I really appreciate you taking the time to copy out & post these programmes on here! I've just made a note of the 2 new series as they both sound very interesting! I shall watch them on the BBC iPlayer.

Hi Balcony.

Thanks. Glad this is useful.
I'll put reminders on here on Tuesdays and Wednesdays :o)

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R E M I N D E R

HOW TO GROW A PLANET.

First episode. 1 hour.

THIS EVENING

9 pm – 10 pm. BBC 2

Tuesday 7th February, 2012.

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Cheers, Terra. x

:o) x

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R E M I N D E R

BEES, BUTTERFLIES AND BLOOMS

First episode. 1 hour.

8pm – 9 pm. BBC 2.

Wednesday 8th February. 2012.

THIS EVENING

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I thoroughly enjoyed that - we semi-maintain a wildflower meadow around our fruit trees and vegetable garden, and clover in our "lawn" and we are rarely without bees (even in December) and butterflies, so that programme convinced us we've been doing the right thing. Hate to think what all this long freeze will have done to the insect population, though.We have an incredible variety of wildflowers here in the wild bit of the mountain - I once tried counting, and got somewhere near to 80 different types, not all of which I could name, but it's glorious in springtime and through the summer months.

I want to watch the programme tomorrow on the BBC iPlayer.

I won't be able to do anything on the allotment again tomorrow so I'll watch this programme & the Botany one as well!

really enjoyed it Terra and i may bring the subject of wild flowers up in our village, may email commity member who does the village in bloom, we have community fields and pond which we could certainly fill with wild flowers and even along the hedgerows we could have some,
think more villages should stop making them look perfectly mowed dont you :o)))

Agree, Sandra.
Let's hope the programme inspires more wild flower areas to be created :o)

hope so :o))) x

I saw the programme yesterday & I liked it. Made me think of the person who must be responsible for the environment here in Huntingdon. For the last few years there has been a clean up programme that does away with practically every possible "wild life" place in & around town.

There are lots of pretty old trees that have been cut down for no apparent reason, even though every year more trees are planted, supposedly more than are cut down, I can't confirm or deny that fact.

One other thing is that he must have an aversion to Ivy as the council gardeners are forever cutting old Ivy vines that grow up the 100s of Hawthorn trees here. They cut them with a chain saw, they cut out a chunk of trunk about 2-3 foot long. Of course the Ivy that has spent more than 50 years in the tops of the trees dies. The trees are full of dead Ivies. I can't help think about the 1,000s of birds & bees that have lost their regular food supply & shelter. Is it any wonder the birds are diminishing & the bees are dying?

All the grass verges have now been cut back so much there is hardly anything left where the wild flowers used to bloom & where you could see & hear the bees. The grass is kept so short the not even white Clover survives any longer.

I could go on with my grievances all night but 'nuff said!

Just think how much Hunts DC could reduce everyone's council tax bills if they didn't do all those unnecessary "pruning" and "mowing" tasks ;o)

Well while I agree with you at least for the 2nd year in a row the Council Tax isn't being increased! Like the weather it's been "frozen"! LOL!

Lol. :o)))

You aren't going to believe or like this, GoYers, but to make up for all this 'orrible weather, we don't actually HAVE council tax in Italy, except on second homes.

WHAT, NO Council Tax??? They must claw back the money some other way then! Neither do they have a council tax in Spain but you PAY for many of the (free) services we take for granted here in the UK! (We know they are not really free services as we pay for them through the council tax). In Spain everybody has to pay for all the services like waste collection out of their monthly pay packets.

Like your new avatar snowperson, Gattina!

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R E M I N D E R

HOW TO GROW A PLANET.

Second episode. 1 hour.

THIS EVENING

9 pm – 10 pm. BBC 2

Tuesday 14th February, 2012.

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I've only just got round to watching last weeks,Terra :o) but will be recording tonights again..thanks ...

Hi Bloomer ...
glad you were able to catch up with last week's episode :o)

I really enjoyed it ,Terra,,just amazing..I won't be waiting a week ,before I watch tonights episode :o)..still have B.B.and Blooms to watch from last week too ! ..such a busy life I lead..Lol.

Hi Bloomer ..
Glad you enjoyed the programme..
I'm about to add the reminder for this evening. :o)

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R E M I N D E R

BEES, BUTTERFLIES AND BLOOMS

Second episode. 1 hour.

8pm – 9 pm. BBC 2.

Wednesday 15th February. 2012.

THIS EVENING

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Watched the second episode last night the more I see the more I realise how little we understand our planet and all it contains, as most know one of my hobbies are hybridising flowers so the part where it was explained that the first coming of flowers on earth produced only seed and that it was deemed wasteful because animals and birds ate them before they were ripe so not suitable for reproduction, and yet after the explosion that wiped out the Dinosaurs and most other things when flowers re colonized the world they started to produce fruit which encased the seed, the fruit when ripe produced mature seed, this being what we all eat and there by ensuring that seeds spread about are mature and ready to germinate.I know this took millions of years to evolve but how did the plants work this out.They have a reproduction system similar to ours but where is there Brain. I am sure they have one its just different to ours.And probably more advanced,plants have been here in there present form for 50 million years can't see Humans lasting another 1000 years, we are dare i say it a failing experiment which could have been so much different.

Yes. Last evening's episode was fascinating.
Maybe we should look more carefully at our plants ..
knowing how very intelligent they are ;o)

I did genetics at uni, and the main thing about evolution that is hammered home again again - things do not evolve in order to fulfil a pattern or an evolutionary niche, just, over the millions of years, those plants/animals that best cope with an environment will better survive and reproduce, those that don't cope, will die out. Therefore you can't say "Such and such evolved in order to do this, or that." All evolution is necessarily accidental.

Survival of the fittest ... and those most able to cope in the new environment ... but I still think plants are clever :o)

I just what I wrote earlier - it sounds so pompous, I do apologise. (Blinking cleverclogs)

It's an interesting comment ...
All comments welcome ... :o)))

Gattina
I take your point but surely the demise of our species will be self destruction not accidental.
You say that those who don't cope will die out, i am sure this is true,but humans are an abnormal factor we are destroying all manner of plants and creatures with weapons and tools and poison which under any other circumstance they would still be surviving.

Undoubtedly, Brian. I was thinking of evolution before man came and put his great big size elevens in the equation. You've got to remember, too, that in the very distant past, thousands of species have disappeared from the face of the planet without any help whatsoever from interfering humans.

Gattina yes it just seems we have destroyed in a couple of hundred years what would have taken hundreds of thousands of years left to its own devices.

The point about our planting was interesting wasnt it, the fact that we should only plant single flower heads instead of doubles. What they are trailing in Harrogate is terrific, lets hope it spreads throughout the country and the 'insect friendly' labels at our GC's. I will be looking to see if ours are stocking them!!

Good points, Grandmage..

Yes.. Let's hope Harrogate and others ...
... and all of us ... include more of the bee-friendly plants in our gardens :o)

I am going to make a bg effort this year to plant more, it depends on what has survived this winter!!

Yes. I want to plant bee-friendly, but perennial... :o)

Yes me too TT. will see what has been lost (if any) then can replace with new.

Which bee-friendly perennials do you like ?

Just sat and watched both shows. Both are absolutely brilliant, thanks for pointing me to them Terra.

Its amazing to see just how much the evolution of plants has effected life on earth. I would never have pegged flowers as being responsible for so much. Must say I loved that mini rainforrest in the cave :)

As for bees butterflies and blooms, I hadn't realised how big a decline there had been. Its good to see that people are receptive to the change and not so stuck in the old traditional ways that they refuse to change. I'm particularly impressed with Harrogate, I hope Sandwell follow in their footsteps. Have to see about finding the right person to point towards this show.

My favourite bee friendly perennial has got to be Echinacea. Such a beautiful plant. I planted one last year and then got three more (still in pots at the moment) :)) Will definately be making a big effort to plant more bee friendly plants and to plant wildflowers. Shame I'd already chosen my seeds before seeing this, I don't think there are many bee friendly plants in there :( Ho hum, just gives me a great excuse to buy more plants :))))

When is the 'Botany' programme on TT? What is the full title of the series? I was looking for it on our service TV On Demand last night & I couldn't find it under B for Botany which makes me think the full title may be different. I watched the first 2 episodes & I wanted to see No.3 today.

'How to Grow a Planet' & 'Bees & Butterflies' are available for me to watch but I didn't see 'Botany'.

Hi Balcony... details on my blog here ...

http://www.growsonyou.com/terratoonie/blog/18256-botany-a-blooming-history-tv-series-and-garrya-pics

Hello Sam ..

Glad you enjoyed the programmes.
More TV shows listed on some of my other recent blogs.

Echinacea ... sounds a good idea.
I'll have another look at those :o)

Thanks Terra I spotted those a few days ago, but had forgotten about them lol.

Have a look a my blogs I posted one last year just on Echinacea. Lots of pictures showing the different phases of the flower. Lol I'm not in the least bit obsessed with them am I :P

Lol. I'll check that out later. Thanks :o)

Thanks, TT. I now realize after rereading your blog that I'd seen all 3 episodes!

I watched these programmes as well & found them fascinating! Now I'm looking forward to seeing the 3rd episode, of both programmes! :-))

I watched the 1st episode of Great British Countryside a little while ago but I haven't found it as interesting as the others.

I searched, yesterday & today, for 'Young Gardener of the Year' on our 'TV On Demand' channel but it isn't there.

Hi Balcony ...
I'm currently watching Birds Britannica, mentioned on another of my blogs. Very interesting.

I wasn't quite so keen on the Hugh Dennis Countryside show ... I kept hoping Ramona Marquez would turn up and join in ;o)

Lol Terra I've just read back my own post, I sound like a right bossy so and so don't I. It wasn't meant to sound like an order just an if you hadn't already seen it, you might like it kind of suggestion.

Hmm Great British Countryside sounds interesting, has it been any good?

Hi Sam.
I looked at your blog and found I had seen and "liked" it last year... good photos... but since then you've learned how to spell Echinacea correctly.... ;o) Lol.

The countryside programme with Hugh Dennis wasn't all that inspiring .. maybe it will improve... perhaps Ramona Marquez really will arrive, and make some comments Lol.

My new "Hug Blog" now on GoY :o)

Glad you liked it. Lol yeah my spelling really leaves a lot to be desired (especially plant names). I'm probably worse on the computer, I'm terrible for typos.

Hmm ok, thanks, I might see about watching it if I get a spare hour then.

Your blog was last year ..
... this year your spelling is brilliant :o) Lol.

lol thanks Terra. You should have seen how I spelt Penstemon the other day though lol.

Lol. Sam.. Here's a reminder for today's programme...

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R E M I N D E R

HOW TO GROW A PLANET.

Final episode. 1 hour.

THIS EVENING .. featuring the wonders of grass !

9 pm – 10 pm. BBC 2

Tuesday 21st February, 2012.

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how was the "grass", anyone who watched it?

Hi Fran..
I was rather sleepy watching the show.... somehow it seemed rather like watching an episode of Coast, but with short hair ;o) too much background music..

but some interesting facts about the development of grasses and wheat etc. :o)

I'm just about to add a reminder for the Bees programme.

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R E M I N D E R

BEES, BUTTERFLIES AND BLOOMS

Third and final episode. 1 hour.

8pm – 9 pm. BBC 2.

Wednesday 22nd February. 2012.

THIS EVENING

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followed by ...

Winterwatch ...

BBC 2... 9 pm - 10 pm.

How the UK's wildlife is faring this winter...

Chris Packham, Martin Hughes-Games, Kate Humble and Michaela Strachan.

Brecon Beacons National Park .. owls etc.
and
South Africa.. swallows which left our shores last Autumn.

awww, I'll have to setle for other people saying how good they are till the Beeb get around to putting them out on DVD - still, it's good to know that they are making such programmes, and, it seems, more of them lately, or is that just me?

I think lately there has been a spate of garden/wildlife programmes... makes a change from too many cookery shows.. ;o)

lol, I was going to write to them suggesting that, as more people have flats than have gardens, they could do a "houseplant garden" programme. Grented, there's not the scope there is in a garden, but still ...

All types of TV gardening programme would be welcome...
window boxes., roof gardens, allotments, etc..

Just imagine if there were as many TV garden shows as there are TV cookery programmes...

with you all the way, TT! anything other than a "proper" garden apparently isn't sexy enouh to make programmes about.

Reminds me of I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue - the teams were asked to complete proverbs (points deducted for right answers!) - "Too many cooks ..." got the reply "...on television"

Lol ... :o)))

Lol Fran, love that response, may have to permanantly replace too may cooks spoil the broth :))

Watched the last episode of bees butterflies and blooms earlier. Must say I'm very very pleased to see Birmingham are making such a big effort, even though I haven't noticed it lol. But I don't get into town very often. Will have to make more of an effort this year, make sure they are keeping up the good work :P

Hi Sam..
Yes, let's hope you notice lots more wild flower beds. :o)