Hortube, Harmony Hills, Impatient Gardener, Rusted Gardener, to name a

Roots and Refuge

I probably watch more gardening videos than i actually garden. Hortube, Garden Addictz, Garden Answer, Impatient Gardener, John Lord, Middle-sized Garden, Swan Island Dahlias, Gardening with Creekside, Garden Queen, Roy Diblik, Linda Vater, Charles Dowding, Fine Gardening, and some more. Some definitely have more product placement than others. There are lots of podcasts worth listtening to too.

Living web farm. Enjoy!

Hort tube, P. Allen Smith, Carmen Johnston

To add to the above list: "Michigan Gardener"

another vote for imaptient gardener, I came across her channel when researching some espalier details, she comes across very no-frills, very sound information including important details,

and no glitzy-sandals-I-am-sooo-cute

I garden for almost 40 years and am put off by many youtube garden channels (like g*rden answer, but dont tell anyone...)

None. I have yet to see any YouTube offerings that provide reliable gardening information that I don't already have in hand so I consider them a large waste of time. And I don't need gardening entertainment - I get that from just being outside and working in the garden.

And if that sounds pretentious, sorry but I am a professional horticulturist so much of what is being discussed or demonstrated is already in my playbook or just plain bad info. But I can see where novice gardeners would gain some benefit....but also maybe learn some bad habits :-))

I don't follow any but there are a few gardening blogs I do check out from time to time - The Garden Professors, GardenRant - mostly for the lively discussions as well as knowledgeable horticultural information.

My husband's grandmother used to say that there are two ways to fold towels, the right way and the wrong way. I disagree about that--there is no one right way. I think the benefit of all these youtube gardeners is that you get to see what works for them and what doesn't and see a variety of techniques (like John Lord and his pickaxe) to try or reject. Like the time I saw "shade plant" astilbe glorious in a full sun position (if you are willing to water it a lot in that situation--and maybe you are and maybe you're not). A lot of these folks have beautiful gardens and have been at it for decades, so their "wrong" ways seems to work for them. I've been a gardener for a half century, ever since I planted my first carrot seeds in full shade (Mom told me that wouldn't work, but did I listen?). I am still willing to listen to other gardeners for ways to perhaps learn new techniques or maybe be inspired to grow a perennial I've never heard of or plant a combination that just knocks my socks off. I feel there's always something to be gleaned from the gardens of others.

I have never really got along with screens - I don't watch TV. I have relied on books when I want information or entertainment. Back when I was a new gardener, I subscribed to a couple of magazines but quickly concluded that there was always an agenda (usually to sell stuff) and I was even more irritated by the glossy perfection of featured gardens (which I certainly didn't recognise)...but mostly, the tedious predictability of continually catering to garden novices.

I do find the internet has value but in general, there is an emphasis on branding, personalities, aspirational BS. I find myself looking at short videos such as 'how to light a Tilley lamp', 'how to do German short rows', 'how to sharpen a chainsaw' but have had very little compulsion to watch TV gardening. Whilst Mr.primula was waiting for a sports channel, one of those garden makeover programmes was playing in the background.. ('Love your garden', I think) .I was dismayed and offended by the whole concept - spend hundreds (thousands) of £££ to make a garden in 24 hours. Rubbish. Not gardening, just shopping. Presided over by grinning nitwits. There is nothing of interest to me. And, afaics, this is amplified on YouTube and subscription social media.

So, apart from other gardeners, books (especially plant monographs) are still my main source of information... but again, you have to be prepared to trawl through a lot of utter rubbish but these are usually clearly signalled: written (ahem) by celebrities, heavy on illustration, light on text,

I agree about the shows where they do a "make-over" of a yard in a day, because you can't really get any sense of what the garden will look like when it has grown in. Garden Answer caught my eye because she'll plant an area and then revisit it a year later and you see the final product. I remember one where she reflected on what plants were a mistake (didn't look good together) and what failed. I lliked that she was willing to admit her mistakes. I like videos because it's a more accurate respresentation of how a plant looks in a garden than a mere photo of a plant. I was turned on to persicaria because of this guy. John Lord--Persicaria

Ah yes, Violet - admitting mistakes is so valuable. I always learn more from my mistakes than successes and I appreciate honesty - not that internet concept of 'living your best life'. I am probably a bit attention challenged because I have always struggled to watch a

screen for more than 5 minutes or so...but I have read a lot of garden blogs (and even considered doing one myself...but photos...)

My eldest is a fan of John Lord too...and often keeps me up to date about interesting plants and ideas.