Everything is rosy in Maggie's garden

FIONA BARBER reckons tonight's garden show has the right balance by sticking to its tried-and-true ethos without neglecting new ideas.

In an age where TV personalities grow to be larger than life, Maggie's Garden Show has stuck to its information-based roots.

Despite her moniker branding the show, Barry neither dominates nor detracts from the know-how she imparts. And, for the most part, her fellow gardening gurus stick to the plan - botanical news you can use.

On the surface it all sounds rather stuffy and old-fashioned. But the hour-long show comes as a relief amid sports coverage, lifestyle shows and even some documentaries tainted by the over-presence of presenters.

Have we figured out why personality-plus weatherman Jim Hickey was added to the ever-hardy Country Calendar?

Sure there are faces aplenty in Maggie's Garden Show but information is seldom overshadowed by the people charged with delivering it.

No one could accuse Bill Ward or Jack Hobbs of camera-hogging and effusive behaviour but they achieve what they should: sharing their expertise and drawing out information from others in the know. And while we're talking expertise, no one comes close to "the Prof" down in the vege patch.

Professor John Walker talks fertiliser, compost and the sort of produce and meals which engender feelings of days gone by.

Case in point: his recipe for tripe and onions plucked fresh from his Canterbury garden.

And last week's segment taught us about feeding the winter crops and planting a hardy wrinkled cabbage which is probably not a staple of Ponsonby Rd cafe culture - curly kale.

Ruud Kleinpaste is larger than life but he knows his bugs and what to do with them.

The jury is still out on Fair Go's Pete Cronshaw, who tackles the do-it-yourself projects.

In the main the programme has the balance right. It sticks to its tried-and-true ethos of information-sharing, but it has not neglected ideas germinated elsewhere.

Note the garden makeover section, the do-it-yourself slot, organic pest-control and the segment which follows city folk who have headed out of town for the "good life."

It's a shame that it relies on sponsors whose names are emblazoned over machinery and uniforms and sometimes brand a slot.

But, clearly, the formula works. Maggie's Garden Show is in its ninth year and the show rates in the top 20, often much higher.

Last Friday's programme attracted 594,000 viewers aged five or over - the country's eighth most-watched show of the week.

A gardening programme will always attract viewers - it could be argued that a show digging into one of the most popular national pastimes could never truly fail.

Nevertheless, Maggie's Garden Show has kept its ratings in the face of increasing television options for viewers.

Personalities come and go but the appeal for information and expertise will never wilt.