Grow Your Own Drugs Episode 2: Flowers
James Wong investigates flower-based treatments for everyday ailments.
Grow Your Own Drugs is a BBC Two television documentary series exploring the many remedies which can be provided by plants. James Wong, an ethnobotanist, presents the series and takes the view that people should start making their own remedies in order to save money and feel healthier plus providing simple remedies to everyday ailments. Wong tries out his remedies on members of the public in order to demonstrate the beneficial effects of natural remedies, adding appropriate safety warnings. He is careful to stress that viewers should always seek medical advice before trying natural medicines, and in discussing the outcomes of treatment always states "It's not a clinical trial..." and acknowledges that results might be attributed to a placebo effect.
Proving a huge ratings success for the BBC, the programme quickly became the highest rated gardening programme in the UK, producing an internationally best-selling book, by the same title, as a spin-off. In 2009, the series also won "Best Television Programme" at the UK Garden Media Guild Awards.