In the 1950s and 1960s, BBC television ran a series of children's programmes under the collective title of Watch with Mother. There was a different programme on each weekday, one of which was Flower Pot Men. The characters were devised by Freda Lingstrom and Maria Bird. Three later stories were by Hilda Brabban. The puppeteers were Audrey Atterbury and Milly Gibson. The voices and other noises were produced by Peter Hawkins, Gladys Whitred and Julia Williams. For psychedelics, see psychedelic drug. ... The Flower Pot Men were a British pop group created in 1967, who enjoyed fleeting fame. ... This article discusses the Childrens television show. ... The 1950s decade refers to the years 1950 to 1959 inclusive. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... Childrens television series are television programmes designed for and marketed to children, normally aired during the morning and afternoon hours, mainly before and after school. ... Watch with Mother was a cycle of childrens programmes broadcast in the 1950s by BBC Television. ... Freda Violet Lingstrom OBE (23 July 1893 — 15 April 1989) was BBC Television producer and executive who was responsible for pioneering childrens programmes in the early 1950s. ... Peter Hawkins in 1996 Peter John Hawkins (3 April 1924 – 8 July 2006) was an English actor and voice artist, whose voice may be more familiar than his name. ...

The plot changed little in each episode. The programme always took place in a garden, behind a potting shed. There was a Little Weed, of indeterminate species, somewhat resembling a sunflower or dandelion with a smiling face between two large flowerpots. While the "man who worked in the garden" was away having his dinner, the two Flower Pot Men, Bill and Ben, emerged from the two flowerpots. After a minor adventure a minor mishap occurs; someone is guilty. "Which of those two flower pot men, was it Bill or was it Ben?" the narrator trills, in a quavering soprano; the villain confesses; the gardener's footsteps are heard coming up the garden path; the Flower Pot Men vanish into their pots and the closing credits roll. The final punch-line was, "and I think the little house knew something about it! Don't You?". Look up Plot in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Yellow starthistle, a thistle native to southern Europe and the Middle East that is an invasive weed in parts of North America. ... For other uses, see Sunflower (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Dandelion (disambiguation). ... The Man Who Worked in the Garden was a pivotal unseen character in the long-running BBC children’s television series, The Flowerpot Men, one of the programmes broadcast weekly from 1952 as part of the daily slot, Watch with Mother. ... This article is about the voice-type. ...

The Flower Pot Men spoke their own unintelligible language called 'oddle poddle'; for example, "Hello, Little Weed" came out as, "Flobadob, Ickle Weed," to which the Weed would inevitably reply with tremulous cadence "Weeeeeeeeeeed". This language, like that of the Teletubbies in the 1990s, was criticised for hindering children from learning proper English. Look up Cadence, cadence in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Teletubbies is a BBC childrens television series, particularly aimed at young children, produced from 1997 to 2001 by Ragdoll Productions. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Legend has it that Hilda Brabban sold the rights to her stories to the BBC for a mere guinea (£1 1/–), or about $3 at that time). For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... £sd (pronounced, and sometimes written, LSD) was the popular name for the pre-decimal currencies used in the United Kingdom, and in most of its Empire and colonies. ...

In 2001, a second series named Bill and Ben was produced for CBBC, this time involving stop-motion animation and full colour. However, many additions were implemented: Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Current CBBC Logo CBBC - short for Childrens BBC - is the brand-name for the BBCs childrens television programmes aimed at children aged between 6 and 12 years old. ... Stop motion is an animation technique which makes things that are static appear to be moving. ...

• A mean rosebush with buds in the neighbours garden.
• A magpie obsessed by shiny treasures, often just bottle caps.
• A hedgehog.
• A worm.
• Weed is no longer a weed, but an enormous sunflower. Rather than whining, "Weed!", she can now speak proper English. She appears to play an "earth mother" role to Bill and Ben.

Places named Rosebush include: Rosebush, Pembrokeshire Rosebush, Michigan Category: ... Flower buds have not yet bloomed into a full-size flower. ... This article is about the bird. ... Genera Atelerix Erinaceus Hemiechinus Mesechinus Paraechinus A hedgehog is any of the small spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae and the order Erinaceomorpha. ... For other uses, see Worm (disambiguation). ... Yellow starthistle, a thistle native to southern Europe and the Middle East that is an invasive weed in parts of North America. ... For other uses, see Sunflower (disambiguation). ... The Earth Mother is a motif that appears in many mythologies. ...

External links

• Toonhound on the Flowerpot Men
• CBeebies - Bill and Ben at bbc.co.uk
• Whirligig TV
• Flower Pot Men (1952)  at the Internet Movie Database
• Bill and Ben (2001)  at the Internet Movie Database
• British Film Institute Screen Online
• The Museum of Broadcast Communication
• "Flowerpot Men Bloom Again" article at bbc.co.uk