Do you know this woman? Her name is Susie Coelho and apparently she’s an authority on "styling," whatever that is, and she’s probably really good at it. Just don’t expect her to know anything about gardening, which you just might if you knew that she hosts HGTV’s backyard make-over show, "Outer Spaces." On it, Susie and her design team set tables and arrange lots of throw pillows and really just furnish and decorate a backyard, specifically a Southern California backyard. That must be an important distinction because these outer spaces are treated exactly like they’re indoors.
And did I mention it’s a reality show? Yep, complete with the grand unveiling of the results to the lucky homeowners, who have to keep their eyes shut until Susie, barely able to contain her excitement, gives the signal. Having fast-forwarded through more episodes than I care to remember, I can definitively give this show a pass.
Next up is "Curb Appeal." This photo comes from the show’s website and I’m not sure if it illustrates a
before or an after, which pretty much sums up my objection to the show. Because while the changes to the houses are definitely for the better, the "after" landscapes are sometimes actually worse. I’m serious. For instance, in a recent episode involving a cute older house with established plantings, the eager design team ripped out all the full-grown shrubs along the foundation and replaced them with – I’m not making this up – snapdragons. I’m at a loss to understand, much less explain, why the landscapes on this show are so terrible. Seems to me a lost opportunity.
And while I’m cataloguing my complaints about HGTV, let me add how much I miss Erica Glasener’s erstwhile show "Gardener’s Diary". An actual horticulturist, Erica conducted half-hour tours of the most interesting gardens and interviewed their equally interesting gardeners and the show was a delight – both eye candy and inspiration. With no garden tour show in their current lin-up, maybe HGTV is looking for a new tour guide. Boy, what a dream gig that would be.
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oooooh, check my blog tomorrow–I’ve got something coming up on this “gardening as decorating” business, too. Let’s put a stop to it.
I’m not a big Susie Coehlo fan (mostly because it is Southern Cali only focus) but have no problem with “gardening as outdoor decorating” trend. IMHO, there is room for all kinds of gardeners and if the way some people get into the plant world is by “designing/decorating the yard” – the more the merrier. Whatever the garden industry to do to get a wider audience and participation is good for all. If someone wants to do all pink plants along their front walk to match their house’s pink trim, who am I to judge? How is that “better” gardening than someone who rips out their lawn and plants 20 rows of feed corn and squash? As long as they are not sticking artificial/plastic flowers bunches into their front beds instead of real plants (I have a neighbor who does this!), I say lets encourage outdoor decors and give them more examples than Susie C.’s limited vision.
While I agree with you on the overuse of marigolds and huge shopping mall plantings of them, I am not entirely against the color orange, at least I’m not anymore. Somehow in the past 4 years my garden had ended up to be all shades of pink and purple , with the various greens. To counter this I kept trying this year to add a few splashes of “hot” colors to really set off the purple iris,stock, mallow hollyhocks and pink giant hollyhocks, magenta glads etc. I found a gorgeous gazannia called “Orange kiss” that was spectacular and discovered Dallas red Lantana, both adding some different texture with their foliage. Of course we are in dry and sunny Colorado and little of your lush garden would survive here, I’m afraid. I agree with you on the missing “Gardner’s Diary” I loved that show with her quiet yet interesting wanderings through other peoples gardens. I also agree on the curb appeal “landscaping” They all end up looking the same with lots of small plants stuck in a field of mulch.
Boy you said it! I sure miss Erica Glasner too! Can someone talk her into coming back??
It’s very easy to spot just how many people on these “Curb Appeal” type shows don’t even know the names of the plants. As a trained horticulturist myself, you can spot them 5 miles away.
COME BACK ERICA! WE MISS YOU!!!
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