A day’s filming with Richard Jackson

I live in Bournemouth which is quite a mild gardening climate, although of course we have had some really bad winters over the last three years with well below temperatures and snow – not usually associated with the south of England. I am just celebrating my 75^th birthday and have been gardening for 65 years, first as a child on my Dad’s allotment in Norfolk and then I gradually took over from my Mum in the garden where we lived. For the past year have been recovering from a broken hip, with a lot of help from my husband Alan. Since I retired have spent a lot more time gardening.

I usually use multi-purpose compost and have fed all my plants with Richard Jackson’s Flower Power over the last few years, of course unless ericaeous compost is needed. I live in the middle of three terrace houses with a front and back garden. The front now has decking because the space was originally needed for a caravan and I always use different sized containers, some low, others on a stand. Last year I am thrilled to say I won the Gold Award for the Bournemouth in Bloom Container Garden. Several years ago Thompson & Morgan had a garden photo competition, so I sent a photo in of my container garden and was rewarded with some vouchers and also asked if I would like to trial some Thompson & Morgan plants, which I have been doing ever since.

Richard Jackson has been showing some of my garden photos on QVC gardening for a few years and has been in contact. In January 2013 I was visiting my sister in San Diego, California when I received an email from Richard saying they had been discussing my garden and were talking about coming down to film it if I was agreeable. On the spur of the moment I agreed and then wondered if my garden would be what they were looking for.

Rob the producer contacted me with possible dates, but as the spring was so cold decided that it might be better to delay it until 3^rd September. Then of course, we had some hot weather and everything just about caught up. The only preparation I really did was to make sure the plants were deadheaded and the decking kept clear of dropped flower heads and prayed that we didn’t get torrential rain or a gale!!!

Rob and his crew arrived on the afternoon of Monday 2^nd September to have a look at the gardens and see where they could set up the camera.  At 8 am on 3^rd September, a gloriously sunny morning (thank goodness), the crew turned up and set up their camera in the front garden. Richard came in and introduced himself, Alan made them all a cup of tea while everything was sorted. Alan also took lots of photos through the day so I could look back on them later. I have now made the photos into a photobook.

The day involved filming Richard interviewing me about the garden and the flowers I had planted, how they were planted, which were my favourites etc. I can`t say I was nervous, which is unlike me, but I think they all put me at ease and nothing was too much trouble. Not even when a neighbour decided to get the hose out and wash his van, which of course was picked up by the sound engineer but taken in good humour. It was being filmed for a new QVC gardening programme with Richard Jackson called Gardening Inspirations, which is due to go out in May 2014.

Rob went to buy sandwiches, cream cakes, ice creams and drinks for lunch and as it had turned out a very hot day we all ate lunch in the lounge where it was cooler.

During the afternoon we were filmed on a bench in the back garden talking about hints and tips and they filmed me deadheading a hanging basket and feeding another, also Richard and me walking down the path.

Richard and the crew left around 2:30 pm after what I can honestly say was a great experience… and lots of laughs which certainly made for a different sort of a day.

Jean Willis

I started gardening 65 years ago on my Dad’s allotment and now live in Bournemouth, where spend a lot of time gardening since retiring. In 2012 I won the Gold Award for Bournemouth in Bloom Container Garden. I am a member of Thompson & Morgan’s customer trial panel.