Gardening Australia-Roses with Open Gardens (1997)

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General		Extras
Category	Documentary	Main Menu Audio
Rating
Year Of Production	1997
Running Time	122:22 (Case: 120)
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Ads Then Menu
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	None Given
Studio Distributor	Roadshow Home Entertainment	Starring	Peter Cundall Mary Moody Neville Passmore Malcolm Campbell Jane Edmanson
Case	Amaray-Transparent-Secure Clip
RPI	$29.95	Music	None Given

    The ABC's Gardening Australia television program has been extremely popular for many years now, offering down-to-earth and simple advice on all facets of gardening. Without resorting to some of the fancier tricks and showbiz style entertainment antics of its commercial television rivals (especially that other backyard show also seen on a Friday night), the program has built up quite a following with its helpful advice and straight-talking methods. Hosted by gardening legend Peter Cundall, and with presenters from all around the country, Gardening Australia is without a doubt the only truly national gardening television show.

    Now it's available on DVD, but unlike the old VHS cassettes you could previously purchase, you now get the benefit of two separate hour-long episodes on the one DVD. This DVD features one episode dedicated to everybody's favourite flower - roses, while the second episodes sees the crew travel around the country to look at some of the more stunning gardens featured in the national open garden scheme.

    Roses (61:08)

    This hour long episode made in 1997 is dedicated to everyone's favourite flower, the rose. The team of Peter Cundall, Mary Moody, Neville Passmore, Malcolm Campbell and Jane Edmanson bring you everything you need to know about the planting, pruning, cultivation, care and selection of roses so that you can achieve superb results in your own garden. They even delve back in time and recount much of the history of the rose and how it has evolved over time to become the most cherished and loved flower around the world. I guarantee you will learn something about roses that you didn't previously know after watching this episode.

    Open Gardens (61:14)

    Australia's Open Garden scheme began in Victoria in 1987. It is a non-profit organisation whose aim is to promote knowledge and pleasure of gardens and gardening across Australia, by opening to the public some of the more stunning and interesting gardens around the country. With some 5000 gardens on the scheme's books and some 650 open each season there are certainly plenty to see. This hour-long episode sees the Gardening Australia team lead by Peter Cundall taking a journey around Australia, looking at some of the outstanding gardens featured in the scheme. Gardens visited include - Raeburn and The Willows in Western Australia, Grass Trees and Merry Garth in New South Wales, Davidson and Dombrovskis Gardens in Tasmania, and Forest Hills and St. Erth in Victoria.

Video

    Originally broadcast on ABC television in 1997 and 1998, this video transfer in presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. It is not 16x9 enhanced.

    While it certainly won't set any new standards for clarity, this is a reasonably detailed transfer that is only limited by the eight-year-old source material. Thankfully there is very little grain to contend with and there is no low level noise.

    The colours are bright and vivid, which is especially pleasing with the multitude of lovely coloured flowers on display.

    No compression artefacts are present. Other artefacts are also absent.
   
    There are no subtitles.

    The disc is dual layered with the layer change positioned between episodes.

Video Ratings Summary

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Audio

    A fairly basic audio selection graces this disc. We get an English Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo soundtrack as the only option.

    Dialogue is the dominant audio component here and it is handled well with no obvious problems. There are also no audio sync issues.

    There is a little background music, but it is barely noticeable.

    There is no surround or subwoofer use at all.

Audio Ratings Summary

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Main Menu Audio

    This disc is not available in Region 1.

    Two for the price of one on offer here with two hour-long Gardening Australia episodes presented on the one DVD. For the rose lovers there is a one hour show dedicated to everything you want to know about the most loved of flowers: their history, the development, growing and pruning tips, and plenty of colourful examples on offer. The second episode is all about open gardens and features some of the more stunning and interesting Australian gardens featured as part of the open garden scheme.

    The quality of the video is excellent, despite the source material being some seven to eight years old.

    The audio is nothing spectacular but handles the job required with ease.

    There are no extras.

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Audio
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