Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Talking Heads - a Gardening Podcast
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ep. 328 - As Storm Austen and Boelo subside, Lucy and Saul reflect on how the gardeners are ever more in the laps of the weather gods, and how adapation will be a key part of our gardening future, and also reflect on the untimely death of Richard Baines. | 01 nov. 2026 | 00:35:57 | |
Its been a long old summer of heat and drought - and although that may be great for those of us visiting the beach, our gardens (especially in the south) have taken a hammering. Gardening hasn't been much fun either. So its nice to get to the cooler and moister end of the year and enjoy the 'mellow fruitfulness' that will surround us for a few months. And as we prepare for the winter, its a lovely time of year just to take a stroll onto the plot, cup of tea in hand and revel in the the changing angle of the sun and the light that just makes the garden seem so magical at this time of year. But as a dedicated gardener don't spend to long dawdling - there still plenty of work to be done and time waits for no person! The storms may have blown through like any other, but the weather in this country becomes more and more a subject for discussion in this country with sever drought declared in parts of Devon and large amounts of rain falling, its hard to know what to plan for in the garden. The storms also cauded the tragic death of Richard Baines, curator at Logan Botanic Gardens and Saul's friend, so he pays tribute to an amazingly knowledgeable and generous man, and big loss to the gardening world. Instagram links: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 327 - In this week's episode, Lucy pays tribute to garden writer Ruth Hayes, who sadly passed away in September. She also talks about storm Austen and what gardening tasks this is prompting her to complete | 24 oct. 2026 | 00:21:59 | |
Its been a long old summer of heat and drought - and although that may be great for those of us visiting the beach, our gardens (especially in the south) have taken a hammering. Gardening hasn't been much fun either. So its nice to get to the cooler and moister end of the year and enjoy the 'mellow fruitfulness' that will surround us for a few months. And as we prepare for the winter, its a lovely time of year just to take a stroll onto the plot, cup of tea in hand and revel in the the changing angle of the sun and the light that just makes the garden seem so magical at this time of year. But as a dedicated gardener don't spend to long dawdling - there still plenty of work to be done and time waits for no person! In this episode we pay tribute to the energy, passion, knowledge and warmth that encapsulated Ruth Hayes - Amateur Gardening magazine's gardening editor, who passed away this autumn. We hope that gardening brings you some comfort at these times of great sadness. With Storm Austen approaching, Lucy also reminds us that we need to take action if we own any tender plants - winter cold AND wet is not their friend. Instagram links: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 326 - Rain, rain, come to Essex - where squirrels, walnuts and peaches are in abundance. Whilst Saul's beloved Devon has had some welcome autumn rain, Lucy is still much in need of it in North Essex | 17 oct. 2026 | 00:32:43 | |
Ah, Autumn Bliss. Its been a long old summer of heat and drought - and though that may be great for those of us visiting the beach, our gardens (especially in the south) have taken a hammering. Gardening hasn't been much fun either. So its nice to get to the cooler and moister end of the year and enjoy the 'mellow fruitfulness' that will surround us for a few months. And as gardens we prepare for the winter, its a lovely time of year just to take a stroll into the garden, cup of tea in hand and revel in the the changing angle of the sun and the light that just makes the garden seem so magical at this time of year. But as a dedicated gardener don't spend to long dawdling - there still plenty of work to be done in the garden and time waits for no person! Weather - and its effect on the garden - is the main topic of conversation for this episode. Lawns, trees, shrubs and perennials are all in various stages of recovery (or not) since the UK's drought this summer, so gardeners are waiting to see what happens. But luckily they're not being idle with their time: tidying, edging and (especially for Lucy) mulch making have brought the smiles back to their faces - thank goodness for that. Instagram links: Saul plantsmansaul Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 325 - The #TalkingHeads podcast is a bit at 6s and 7s at the moment, so bear with us, and in the meantime a little catch-up with Saul and some Apple(y) action! | 12 oct. 2026 | 00:22:06 | |
h Autumn Bliss. Its been a long old summer of heat and drought - and though that may be great for those of us visiting the beach, our gardens (especially in the south) have taken a hammering. Gardening hasn't been much fun either. So its nice to get to the cooler and moister end of the year and enjoy the 'mellow fruitfulness' that will surround us for a few months. And as gardens we prepare for the winter, its a lovely time of year just to take a stroll into the garden, cup of tea in hand and revel in the the changing angle of the sun and the light that just makes the garden seem so magical at this time of year. But as a dedicated gardener don't spend to long dawdling - there still plenty of work to be done in the garden and time waits for no person! Many apologies dear listeners - everytime Lucy and Saul beleive their gardening lives have got a bit quieter the amount they have to do just increases - so episodes at the moment are a little delayed and unorganised but never fear we'll keep the #HortiWaffle going somehow. So Saul just checks in with the you all to fill in what he has been up to recently including the end of the Hedychium Trial at East Ruston Garden and the amazing EuroPom - a celebration of apples (and other fruit) from around Europe, and the most mind blowing experience! Instagram links: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 324 - Finally two #TalkingHeads in the same room - as September brings a little (if not busy) normality back to Saul and Lucy's gardening lives... | 26 sept. 2026 | 00:33:52 | |
Ah Autumn Bliss. Its been a long old summer of heat and drought - and though that may be great for those of us visiting the beach, our gardens (especially in the south) have taken a hammering. Gardening hasn't been much fun either. So its nice to get to the cooler and moister end of the year and enjoy the 'mellow fruitfulness' that will surround us for a few months. And as gardens we prepare for the winter, its a lovely time of year just to take a stroll into the garden, cup of tea in hand and revel in the the changing angle of the sun and the light that just makes the garden seem so magical at this time of year. But as a dedicated gardener don't spend to long dawdling - there still plenty of work to be done in the garden and time waits for no person! Finally Lucy and Saul are in the same room, if not in the correct counties to snatch a bit of time together to catch up and resume the #HortiWaffle. Saul has still be on his travels catching up on Hedychium trials, Plant Heritage work and enjoying the countryside of the British Isles from various train windows. Lucy has been enjoying a little more of the normal 'local' work with plenty of Autumn mulch to prepare and Chocolate Custard Creams to consume - isn't it nice to have a little normality back! Instagram links: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 323 - What exactly has Saul been up to while away from Talking Heads land - well dashing across most of the Southern Counties of Britain enjoying his gardening life it seems. | 20 sept. 2026 | 00:30:59 | |
Summer is here - we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious - but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking green and lush. Herbaceous borders are set to maximum colour, vegetable beds seem to multiply in growth weekly and the gardener's tan is ever present. So enjoy the long summer days, take some time to appreciate time in your garden and join the Talking Heads pair as they continue to look after their planty spaces, as well as enjoying their gardens at home. Saul returns to the Talking Heads Podcast after a small sabbatical travelling up and down the M4, M5 and A303 taking in the many landscapes of Southern Britain while visiting many a garden, plant paradise and the occasion flower show. His gardening life is a busy one especially this year, but the fact that he gets to see so many wonderful floral delights plus meet the gardeners and growers behind them makes the every increasing fuel bill bearable! Instagram links: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 322 - It's the BBC Gardeners' World Fair at Audley End! Lucy has been busy putting a border together with De-Graft Mensah for the Make a Metre Matter campaign - so listen in to get a behind the scenes talk about its concept | 15 sept. 2026 | 00:29:35 | |
Summer is here - we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious - but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking green and lush. Herbaceous borders are set to maximum colour, vegetable beds seem to multiply in growth weekly and the gardener's tan is ever present. So enjoy the long summer days, take some time to appreciate time in your garden and join the Talking Heads pair as they continue to look after their planty spaces, as well as enjoying their gardens at home. Whist Saul is busy gathering up his braincells for the walled kitchen garden tours at Audley End, Lucy talks you through her Make a Metre Matter commitments for the BBC Gardeners' World Fair. There have been metres, they have ALL mattered - and if you are able to pledge one of yours to support this campaign Lucy and De-Graft will both be eternally grateful. Bring on the sausages!! Instagram links: Saul plantsmansaul Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 321 - Last week we talked about the issues in the present, well this episode is about the solutions for the future in gardening - Lucy 'Nostradamus' Chamberlain looks into her crystal ball.... | 29 août 2026 | 00:39:36 | |
Summer is here - we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious - but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking green and lush. Herbaceous borders are set to maximum colour, vegetable beds seem to multiply in growth weekly and the gardener's tan is ever present. So enjoy the long summer days, take some time to appreciate time in your garden and join the Talking Heads pair as they continue to look after their planty spaces, as well as enjoying their gardens at home. The end of summer drought doesn't mean that we aren't still to face the real consequences of this years weather - there's much more weather to come. But what does the future hold for gardening? Well Saul and Lucy get the grey matter working to bring you some of their future predictions of what gardeners maybe doing in the next decade to start adapting to what the weather throws at us - much of it means evolving how we garden and what our gardens may look like - but if there is one thing for certain we'll still be gardening a lot (maybe more in Winter!?) Instagram links: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 320 - This episode is thoughtfully entitled 'The acceptance of late summer garden glumness' - but, Saul and Lucy promise it will lift your spirits and get your grey matter whirring... | 22 août 2026 | 00:33:58 | |
Summer is here - we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious - but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking green and lush. Herbaceous borders are set to maximum colour, vegetable beds seem to multiply in growth weekly and the gardener's tan is ever present. So enjoy the long summer days, take some time to appreciate time in your garden and join the Talking Heads pair as they continue to look after their planty spaces, as well as enjoying their gardens at home. This week, Lucy and Saul encourage us all to let go of our inner control freak, and welcome the fact that in gardening, every year, some plants thrive where others fail, certain machinery will test our patience, design ideas may materialise as a triumph or a flop - and that's just part of the marvellous melting pot that is gardening. So, take Saul's lead (yes! He's embracing the silver lining), remember that the future is still yet to be decided, and dip your little toe into 2027. Because: "There's always next year!" Instagram links: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 319 - Saul is solo this week, as again he is on his travels this time to Norfolk with the RHS Tender Ornamental Expert Group visiting Felbrigg Hall (NT) and East Ruston Old Vicarage Gardens - where there maybe a Hedychium Trial going on :) | 16 août 2026 | 00:30:59 | |
Summer is here - we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious - but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking green and lush. Herbaceous borders are set to maximum colour, vegetable beds seem to multiply in growth weekly and the gardener's tan is ever present. So enjoy the long summer days, take some time to appreciate time in your garden and join the Talking Heads pair as they continue to look after their planty spaces, as well as enjoying their gardens at home. During the fifth Heatwave of the year, Saul is soloing it while out and abut in the South East of the UK working for Plant Heritage and visiting some gardens with the RHS Tender Ornamental Expert Group in Norfolk. Felbrigg Hall (NT) was a surprise of exotic and Mediterranean planting in a Walled garden space that included lush borders, some big pumpkins and lots of interesting metal sculptures. East Ruston Old Vicarage Garden, lived up to the hype of being one of the UKs premier gardens, with Hidcote-like garden rooms, stuffed with exotic and traditional plantings and a fantastic 'Desert Wash' dry garden that looked just right in the sweltering heat, transporting you to other warmer parts of the world. We also took part in the Hedychium trial being held there, and also being Saul's favourite part of the whole trip! Instagram links: Saul plantsmansaul Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 318 - In this episode, we give an almighty shoutout to our loyal listeners, by discussing their gardening conundrums. Stand by your beds for tree selection, mite obliteration and a twisted rotator cuff! | 08 août 2026 | 00:32:55 | |
Summer is here - we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious - but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking green and lush. Herbaceous borders are set to maximum colour, vegetable beds seem to multiply in growth weekly and the gardener's tan is ever present. So enjoy the long summer days, take some time to appreciate time in your garden and join the Talking Heads pair as they continue to look after their planty spaces, as well as enjoying their gardens at home. We give a long overdue shoutout to our wonderful listeners in this episode - and in doing so discuss raptors, buddleja aphids, petrichor (Lucy is NOT jealous...), chilli peppers, fuchsia gall mites and tropical tree selection in a Lancashire garden - in doing so we inadvertently fill the whole 30 minutes when we actually had planned to also discuss summer gardening 'funk' (which we have now moved to next weeks episode). If this isn't evidence that this podcasting duo are the king and queen of hortiwaffle, I don't know what is! Instagram links: Saul plantsmansaul Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 317 - Well one thing dominates horticulture in most of the UK at the moment - drought - officially half the country has reached that status and we are seeing winners and losers, but also many silver-linings and little joys in our gardens! | 02 août 2026 | 00:31:56 | |
Summer is here - we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious - but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking green and lush. Herbaceous borders are set to maximum colour, vegetable beds seem to multiply in growth weekly and the gardener's tan is ever present. So enjoy the long summer days, take some time to appreciate time in your garden and join the Talking Heads pair as they continue to look after their planty spaces, as well as enjoying their gardens at home. The lack of rain in many parts of the UK (not all) has been the number one issue for weeks now - rain dances, water bowsers and talk of changing plantings are now a regular feature of conversations throughout gardens as the Environment Agency declares half of the UK to be in official drought status! But although there have been many losers in this hot, dry weather its not all bad and Saul and Lucy wanted to bringing a little positivity in this weeks podcast with talk of juicy peaches, luscious exotic planting and of course, the wood-fired hot tub! Instagram links: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 316 - With the summer holidays starting, Lucy pushes her brain into action for another 30-minute episode of horticultural highlights. Butterflies, box moths, hosepipes and orchids are just some of the noticeable events she and Saul have seen this week | 25 juil. 2026 | 00:35:44 | |
Summer is here - we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious - but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking green and lush. Herbaceous borders are set to maximum colour, vegetable beds seem to multiply in growth weekly and the gardener's tan is ever present. So enjoy the long summer days, take some time to appreciate time in your garden and join the Talking Heads pair as they continue to look after their planty spaces, as well as enjoying their gardens at home. It's been yet another week of dry weather, and with no end in sight the gardening duo ponder what this might mean for the survival of certain insect species - friend and foe. Saul also reports back on his travels, and some exciting news for Plant Heritage, while Lucy turns her (tired) brain towards the Gardeners' World Autumn Fair at Audley End, Essex. Instagram links: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 315 - Hot, Dry and Perspiring! That's the TalkingHead Podcast duo at the moment, but gardening continues whether at Lucy's clients or at RHS Badminton, tune to to hear how Lucy and Saul are coping! | 19 juil. 2026 | 00:38:49 | |
Summer is here - we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious - but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking green and lush. Herbaceous borders are set to maximum colour, vegetable beds seem to multiply in growth weekly and the gardener's tan is ever present. So enjoy the long summer days, take some time to appreciate time in your garden and join the Talking Heads pair as they continue to look after their planty spaces, as well as enjoying their gardens at home. Wow it is dry out there and the temperatures are well above the norm for long periods - so both Lucy and Saul are, to say the least, continuing in good British form - 'mad dogs and Englishmen' comes to mind. Gardening still needs to be done though - if just the watering - so Lucy has been continuing to shape her client's plots and Saul has spent almost 12 days getting ready and then half-wilting at RHS Badminton - so listen in to find out how that goes - and if the worse happens at least we can all go for a dip in Lucy's new hottub! Instagram links: Saul plantsmansaul Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 314 - It's a grow your own special! Lucy takes us on a tour of her home plot to explain how she cooks her edibles. Strap yourself in for a menu featuring kohl rabi and carrot remoulade, broad bean salad and poached pears with raspberry ice cream | 11 juil. 2026 | 00:35:59 | |
Summer is here - we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious - but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking green and lush. Herbaceous borders are set to maximum colour, vegetable beds seem to multiply in growth weekly and the gardener's tan is ever present. So enjoy the long summer days, take some time to appreciate time in your garden and join the Talking Heads pair as they continue to look after their planty spaces, as well as enjoying their gardens at home. With Saul attending to his Plant Heritage duties at RHS Badminton, Lucy takes this opportunity to give you an audio tour of her modern kitchen garden. Summer is now at its peak, so naturally her thoughts are focused on how to create recipes with all those homegrown fruit, veg and herbs. If you have an aversion to butter, turn your ears away now... Instagram links: Saul plantsmansaul Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 313 - With a week of very hot weather behind them, the professional gardening duo ponder what we need to do to adjust our gardening hours - be that working for customers or planning garden day visits. | 04 juil. 2026 | 00:35:44 | |
Summer is here - we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious - but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking green and lush. Herbaceous borders are set to maximum colour, vegetable beds seem to multiply in growth weekly and the gardener's tan is ever present. So enjoy the long summer days, take some time to appreciate time in your garden and join the Talking Heads pair as they continue to look after their planty spaces, as well as enjoying their gardens at home. Wow, what a scorcher last week was in the UK - and beyond! Of course, this gets the weather obsessed podcast duo thinking: what will we need to do to adjust our mindset towards working in and taking pleasure trips to, gardens. A flexible mindset is key. We also pay tribute to show veg master Terry Porter, who sadly passed away in recent days. It's guaranteed that if you visited gardening shows these past few decades, you'll have seen his phenomenal work first hand. Instagram links: Saul plantsmansaul Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 312 - BBC Gardeners World Live (for its last year at the NEC) returns, with Plant Experts, Make a Metre Matters and plenty of other gardening related fun to keep Lucy and Saul very very busy! | 29 juin 2026 | 00:38:58 | |
Summer is here - we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious - but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking green and lush. Herbaceous borders are set to maximum colour, vegetable beds seem to multiply in growth weekly and the gardener's tan is ever present. So enjoy the long summer days, take some time to appreciate time in your garden and join the Talking Heads pair as they continue to look after their planty spaces, as well as enjoying their gardens at home. Well every year the NEC beckons the Talking Heads Duo back to BBC Gardeners World Live to share their garden wisdom on the Plants Expert Desk, as well as show people around the Floral Marquee when no-one else is there and this year, Lucy builds her Make a Metre Matter border. Altogether it keep the Talking Head duo incredibly busy, so recording a podcast can be a bitty affair, but join us as we share some of the sights and voices at this years show! Instagram links: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 311 - Saul and Lucy are reunited! After many weeks apart, the gardening duo finally catch up on each other's horti-lives. It's post-Chelsea, pre-NEC banter at its best | 13 juin 2026 | 00:33:23 | |
Summer is here - we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious - but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking green and lush. Herbaceous borders are set to maximum colour, vegetable beds seem to multiply in growth weekly and the gardener's tan is ever present. So enjoy the long summer days, take some time to appreciate time in your garden and join the Talking Heads pair as they continue to look after their planty spaces, as well as enjoying their gardens at home. After many weeks apart, Lucy and Saul finally catch up with each other (via Zoom) to discover what's been going on in their respective gardening lives. Saul is still recovering from The Chelsea Flower Show, and Lucy is busy prepping for her Beautiful Border at BBC Gardeners' World Live at the NEC. In the meantime, the dry spell has ended with rain falling in both Devon and Essex - giving the duo's gardens a much needed rest from the scorching conditions. If any listeners want to similarly refresh Lucy and Saul at the NEC, all biscuits are welcome!! Instagram links: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 310 - Saul takes a look back at this years RHS Chelsea Flower Show - a differing experience to usual with all the work Plant Heritage got up too! | 08 juin 2026 | 00:34:29 | |
Summer is here - we enter the long days and sultry nights with the garden looking glorious but always looking to the horizon for a little bit of rain to keep things looking green and lush. Herbaceous borders are set to maximum colour, vegetable beds seem to multiply in growth weekly and the gardeners tan is ever present. So enjoy the long summer days, take some time to appreciate time in your garden and join the Talking Heads pair as they continue to look after their planty spaces, as well as enjoying their gardens at home. Saul had an incredible experience at the #RHSChelseaFlowerShow, very different for his usual Monday Press Day jolly with Lucy, but instead a full on fortnight of Pavilion , Garden promoting, media-hunting, volunteer wrangling while keeping his energy levels high (not always successful) and his brain ticking 9definitely not always successful). SO join him in this episode as he looks back at the the Flower show process and some of his highlights from the week in May where everyone talks about gardens and plants. Instagram links: Saul plantsmansaul Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Special Tribute Episode: Very sadly we learnt that one of the most popular horticultural voices Matt Biggs has passed away, who both Lucy and Saul count as a good Gardening Friend. Here we replay his interview with us from November 2020 | 31 mai 2026 | 00:52:29 | |
On Thursday 21st May, we learnt of the passing of Matt Biggs - horticultural everyman, incredibly nice guy, and titan in both knowledge of our industry and hobby, but also fabulous communicator as well. Matt's career spanned all mediums from Tv, Book, Press and also Radio, where he spent 30 years delighting Garden Question Time audiences with his passion and wit for horticulture. Lucy and Saul count Matt as a true garden friend having spent a lot of time with him during the show season and elsewhere - where all we can say is he truly was Gardening's Nicest Guy. Matt was battling cancer till his death, and was very vocal about the support he wanted to make to the Mount Vernon Sanctuary Garden project that he was spearheading. If you have the chance to donate in his memory, please click here | |||
| Ep. 309 - It's the hortiwaffle episode! With Saul still embracing Chelsea, Lucy takes you on a stroll through her home garden, where she tells tales of perfect peonies, rambunctious rocket and gruesome goings on in the foxglove bed... | 23 mai 2026 | 00:37:57 | |
Spring is well and truly here - as clocks change, sunny days lengthen, and the occasional chilly night catches us unaware. But the main thing is plants are really starting to wake up and give us something to cheer about after a very wet and gloomy winter! Saul and Lucy look forward to really getting to grips with there gardens both at home and work - and Plant collections up and down the breathe of the UK start showing themselves at their best for all to behold. Finally the 2026 gardening year begins! Whilst the Chelsea Flower Show is keeping Mr Walker incredibly busy, Lucy has been kicking her literal heels whilst she waits for her body to heal. Luckily, there's plenty going on in the garden to keep her entertained, so join her in a 30-minute tour of Chateau Chamberlain to hear about teucriums, irises, aphids and tetrapanax. It's a horticultural smorgasbord of delights! Instagram links: Saul plantsmansaul Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 308 - It's the Gardeners' World Spring Fair at Beaulieu! With Saul on holiday, Lucy gives you her first-hand experience of beautiful borders, stages, tours and more - it's been a busy few days... | 05 mai 2026 | 00:34:55 | |
Spring is well and truly here - as clocks change, sunny days lengthen, and the occasional chilly night catches us unaware. But the main thing is plants are really starting to wake up and give us something to cheer about after a very wet and gloomy winter! Saul and Lucy look forward to really getting to grips with there gardens both at home and work - and Plant collections up and down the breathe of the UK start showing themselves at their best for all to behold. Finally the 2026 gardening year begins! With Saul having a well deserved rest up in the Shetland Islands, Lucy focuses her attention on the BBC Gardeners' World Spring Fair in Beaulieu, where she's putting together a Beautiful Border along with De-Graft Mensah to promote the Gardeners' World Make a Metre Matter campaign. This, along with her usual kitchen garden tours with the Beaulieu garden team, plus some appearances on the Gardeners' World magazine main stage, has kept her quite busy.... If you want to see her experience, watch her latest reels on her Instagram profile (link below) but if you fancy a half-hour episode describing this process, download away! Instagram links: Saul plantsmansaul Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 307 - It's not all gardening in our world - but still plenty of horticulture - including Gardeners World Spring Fair, Chelsea Physic garden, White House Farm and Garden and The Plant Heritage BigGive Campaign | 25 avr. 2026 | 00:33:10 | |
Spring is well and truly here - as clocks change, sunny days lengthen, and the occasional chilly night catches us unaware. But the main thing is plants are really starting to wake up and give us something to cheer about after a very wet and gloomy winter! Saul and Lucy look forward to really getting to grips with there gardens both at home and work - and Plant collections up and down the breathe of the UK start showing themselves at their best for all to behold. Finally the 2026 gardening year begins! Though much of what we do is gardening - the world of horticulture is full of other distractions - that's what makes it such a beautiful world to live in. And Lucy and Saul have certainly been getting distracted now Spring is well and truly shining upon us. Lucy has big ambitions in the form of a Beautiful Border that she is building at Gardeners World Spring Fair in Beaulieu and Saul has been travelling the country meeting some of the amazing and knowledgeable people and their gardens that make our world tick including the Chelsea Physic garden, White House Farm and Garden, and many National Collection Holders as Plant Heritage kick-off their BigGive #EarthRaise fundraising campaign... Instagram links: Saul plantsmansaul Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 306 - This week, Saul and Lucy wander (verbally) through Chelsea Physic Garden and Chelsea Press Day, discussing bird feeding, houseplant repotting, mulching and spring temperatures. All in all, it's a busy episode! | 18 avr. 2026 | 00:36:29 | |
Spring is well and truly here - as clocks change, sunny days lengthen, and the occasional chilly night catches us unaware. But the main thing is plants are really starting to wake up and give us something to cheer about after a very wet and gloomy winter! Saul and Lucy look forward to really getting to grips with there gardens both at home and work - and Plant collections up and down the breathe of the UK start showing themselves at their best for all to behold. Finally the 2026 gardening year begins! After their traditional weather waffle and (jingle pending) a new regular shed slot, Lucy and Saul ramble verbally through their respective weeks. While Saul has been repotting houseplants and prepping himself for Expert Group and Plant Heritage commitments, Lucy has been redressing her flagging energy levels after shining up Kingsland Gardens like a brand new penny for a family birthday event. There's also timely chat about the recent news on feeding our garden birds, as the duo reflect on how some task adjustments are easier to embrace than others. Instagram links: Saul plantsmansaul Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 305 - Easter has come and gone - and both of the #TalkingHeads had wonderful times visiting gardens in the sunshine, as well as Lucy revelling in her and her clients gardens and Saul seeing signs of his exotic garden beginning to stir... | 11 avr. 2026 | 00:37:14 | |
Spring is well and truly here - as clocks change, sunny days lengthen, and the occasional chilly night catches us unaware. But the main thing is plants are really starting to wake up and give us something to cheer about after a very wet and gloomy winter! Saul and Lucy look forward to really getting to grips with there gardens both at home and work - and Plant collections up and down the breathe of the UK start showing themselves at their best for all to behold. Finally the 2026 gardening year begins! Easter and gardens are a synonymous mix - who didn't visit a garden over last week to see all the spring flowers and enjoy a does of Vitamin D. Well Lucy and Saul definitely took advantage of the sunshine to see other peoples gardens waking up to the 2026 garden season. They've also been hard at work (well at least one of the m has) looking after their clients gardens, and seeing all that hard work come to fruition. Instagram links: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| EP. 304 - It's the symposium episode! Lucy & Saul visited London to attend the inaugural RHS symposium, where expert group members discussed gardening challenges - and opportunities - in a changing climate. It certainly got the podcast duo thinking... | 04 avr. 2026 | 00:32:44 | |
Spring is well and truly here - as clocks change, sunny days lengthen, and the occasional chilly night catches us unaware. But the main thing is plants are really starting to wake up and give us something to cheer about after a very wet and gloomy winter! Saul and Lucy look forward to really getting to grips with there gardens both at home and work - and Plant collections up and down the breathe of the UK start showing themselves at their best for all to behold. Finally the 2026 gardening year begins! Get your thinking caps on - it's symposium time! Leaving their dibbers and desks behind for a day, Saul and Lucy trot off to London to attend the RHS symposium. Here, under one roof, many horticultural specialist's minds come together to ponder how the shift in climate is affecting our gardening mindset. Of course, there are concerns - but there are also opportunities - and both podcasters are pleasantly surprised by the new attitude towards biodiversity. Instagram links: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 303 - Hear that! Well its the gentle hum of the garden world waking up to Spring! Pressure Washers and Seed Trays at the ready, the countdown to full gardening mode is on..... | 28 mars 2026 | 00:34:08 | |
Spring is well and truly here - as clocks change, sunny days lengthen, and the occasional chilly night catches us unaware. But the main thing is plants are really starting to wake up and give us something to cheer about after a very wet and gloomy winter! Saul and Lucy look forward to really getting to grips with there gardens both at home and work - and Plant collections up and down the breathe of the UK start showing themselves at their best for all to behold. Finally the 2026 gardening year begins! Brandish those pressure washers, Saul is back in the garden cleaning up after winter and preparing the way for his Exotics, while Lucy squeezing through Berberis bushes to reach nettles - nothing like some jeopardy to fulfil your gardening day. Also Flower shows are starting to gather pace - Daffodils and Orchids, Plant fairs and Village Spring shows fill our weekends as we marvel at the UK's appetite for excellent gardening. Instagram links: Saul plantsmansaul Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 302 - Spring is springing, and Lucy is one tired gardener - so in this solo episode, hear her flop into a chair as she reaches the end(s) of her working day | 21 mars 2026 | 00:38:35 | |
Winter is here in the UK, so while Saul and Lucy hunker down, don layers and fire up the kettle more frequently than usual, what do their minds turn to in the garden? This is the perfect season for clearance of 2025 growth, for establishing new designs and for de-cluttering stores and greenhouses. Any hours that you can put into the garden now, will reward you hugely come spring and summer, when the jobs mount up. Quick - more tea and biscuits! With Saul being busy with his Plant Heritage work this week, Lucy takes up the reins by guiding us, day by day, through her working week. She visits Georgina on Monday, speaks to Jon on Tuesday, works with Mick on Wednesday, has a scone with Elizabeth on Thursday, and visits Len on Friday - all in the name of horticulture, of course. The Essex weather this week has been lovely - blue skies, buzzing bees - and even the odd Brimstone butterfly - so no wonder she ends her days by flopping into or onto the nearest soft furnishing she can find, with a satisfying sigh (and biscuit...). Instagram links: Saul plantsmansaul Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 301 - Back to the Garden - Lucy returns and is all about the practical, as our gardens really start to shift with the transformation into Spring - also are the #TalkingHeads pair getting 'old'! | 14 mars 2026 | 00:36:55 | |
Winter is here in the UK, so while Saul and Lucy hunker down, don layers and fire up the kettle more frequently than usual, what do their minds turn to in the garden? This is the perfect season for clearance of 2025 growth, for establishing new designs and for de-cluttering stores and greenhouses. Any hours that you can put into the garden now, will reward you hugely come spring and summer, when the jobs mount up. Quick - more tea and biscuits! Well Winter is really starting to transform into Spring now, and so are our gardens. Lucy returns after her week away with tales of gardening shenanigans from pruning and training red currants, to clearing the final winter debris from emerging herbaceous borders, all while Saul does nothing, though it will soon be show season! The pair also start reflecting back on their life in horticulture, prompted by Frances' words last year, and realise a lot has changed in 25 years of being in the garden - what will the next 25 years hold, well one things for sure - more #HortiWaffle! | |||
| Ep. 300 - A Milestone Episode! So how to celebrate, well replacing Lucy with a brand new presenter of course....and so we went with gardening super-sub Frances Tophill..... | 07 mars 2026 | 00:40:15 | |
Winter is here in the UK, so while Saul and Lucy hunker down, don layers and fire up the kettle more frequently than usual, what do their minds turn to in the garden? This is the perfect season for clearance of 2025 growth, for establishing new designs and for de-cluttering stores and greenhouses. Any hours that you can put into the garden now, will reward you hugely come spring and summer, when the jobs mount up. Quick - more tea and biscuits! Well who would have thought that we'd reach episode 300 without Lucy and I killing each other (it's been close), but seriously what a journey over the last 6 years - and fear not we're only getting started. Having said that Lucy is obviously not too bothered as unfortunately she had to go off and talk about Vegetables (suprise, suprise) somewhere in Essex, so Saul picked up the phone and bought in the next best thing.. Frances Tophill...now a fellow Devonian and one of the most down to earth Gardeners World presenters your likely to meet! Instagram link: Frances francestophill Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 299 - The Talking Heads duo have been out, out - to the Garden Press Event in London where they get a sneak peek at what's in store for the gardening public in 2026. Water conservation, peat-free composts and biofumigants are just a few initiatives... | 28 févr. 2026 | 00:33:00 | |
Winter is here in the UK, so while Saul and Lucy hunker down, don layers and fire up the kettle more frequently than usual, what do their minds turn to in the garden? This is the perfect season for clearance of 2025 growth, for establishing new designs and for de-cluttering stores and greenhouses. Any hours that you can put into the garden now, will reward you hugely come spring and summer, when the jobs mount up. Quick - more tea and biscuits! At last! Spring is on the horizon, we've had a few days without rain and it finally feels as though that winter dankness is coming to an end. So, the podcasting duo celebrate with... a day out in London! It's to visit the Garden Press Event - and as well as catching up with their horticultural chums, Lucy and Saul see innovations in peat-free composts, water conservation and much more. As if that wasn't enough, Saul has also been able to flex his gardening muscles with some fruit tree and wisteria pruning, while Lucy blitzes a huge rash of weeds, pots up cyclamen seedlings and plants some impressive standard elaeagnus. Instagram link: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 298 - Jobs indoors are still the mood of the Gardening Nation as the rain is stubbornly locked in on the British Isles, but as its Valentines day its time to make someone's love of plants even greater with the Plant Heritage Wishlist! | 14 févr. 2026 | 00:34:07 | |
Winter is here in the UK, so while Saul and Lucy hunker down, don layers and fire up the kettle more frequently than usual, what do their minds turn to in the garden? This is the perfect season for clearance of 2025 growth, for establishing new designs and for de-cluttering stores and greenhouses. Any hours that you can put into the garden now, will reward you hugely come spring and summer, when the jobs mount up. Quick - more tea and biscuits! Well well well - the weather has...…not improved! On what feels like one of the wettest years in recent memory Gardening (and all outdoor pursuits) has been a bit of a long slog. But the Talking Heads pair try to console each other with those gardening tasks they can get on with (or at least Saul is feeling smug about being in an office - little does he know Spring is on the horizon). So Wineberries, Pruning, Houseplants and jobs out of the rain are the order of the moment. Also as this comes out on Valentines Day, love is in the air for our rarer plants as Plant Heritage Launch the Wishlist, a matchmaking service for those who are looking for the lost and unloved. Instagram link: Saul plantsmansaul Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 297 - Make compost whist the sun shines (not) - Lucy waxes lyrical about this key cool-season task, and a listener causes the duo to ponder winter bird care | 07 févr. 2026 | 00:34:18 | |
Winter is here in the UK, so while Saul and Lucy hunker down, don layers and fire up the kettle more frequently than usual, what do their minds turn to in the garden? This is the perfect season for clearance of 2025 growth, for establishing new designs and for de-cluttering stores and greenhouses. Any hours that you can put into the garden now, will reward you hugely come spring and summer, when the jobs mount up. Quick - more tea and biscuits! Well - it's still raining! So while Saul feels sure that he's made the right decision and re-located to an office, Lucy throws herself into wet wintry showers by choosing jobs to keep her warm. This week, a day full of composting is on her list, as she discovers the joy of the full composting cycle. A listener also asks the podcasting team for their views on encouraging birds into the garden during winter. Ponds, berries, diverse plantings - and compost heaps - all feature in the reply. Instagram link: Saul plantsmansaul Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 296 - January = rain, rain = January - its been wet there is no denying it, but that doesn't stop the #TalkingHeads pair, as Lucy has been playing with her sieving machine and 'Dr Orchid' has been talking houseplants. | 31 janv. 2026 | 00:34:24 | |
Winter is here in the UK, so while Saul and Lucy hunker down, don layers and fire up the kettle more frequently than usual, what do their minds turn to in the garden? This is the perfect season for clearance of 2025 growth, for establishing new designs and for de-cluttering stores and greenhouses. Any hours that you can put into the garden now, will reward you hugely come spring and summer, when the jobs mount up. Quick - more tea and biscuits! Rain, rain go away.....it's been a thoroughly wet time to be in the UK, especially in the Westcountry where Saul has been tying down his Bananas to stop them floating away. So Gardening has been a consistent duck under cover ever half hour, or fetching the rods from the cobwebs at the back of the garage to unblock some culvert or twenty! That hasn't stopped Lucy though who has been decorating her dog, Lily, with saw dust and Saul who finally emerged from the Office, ate a Banana and transformed into 'Dr Orchid' for the RHS Rosemoor Houseplant Weekend. Instagram link: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 295 - It's time to sow! Or, is it? The gardening duo discuss the pressures of the modern-day propagation season. Plus, a notebook, Instagram? Saul slowly morphs into Lucy as he realises her way was a winner all along... | 24 janv. 2026 | 00:35:28 | |
Winter is here in the UK, so while Saul and Lucy hunker down, don layers and fire up the kettle more frequently than usual, what do their minds turn to in the garden? This is the perfect season for clearance of 2025 growth, for establishing new designs and for de-cluttering stores and greenhouses. Any hours that you can put into the garden now, will reward you hugely come spring and summer, when the jobs mount up. Quick - more tea and biscuits! With Saul having indoor mouse problems (three of them!) and Lucy admitting her addiction to homogenous gravel, the duo reveal what really presses a professional gardener's buttons during winter. Thankfully, rose pruning season is also in earnest so Lucy is getting her horticultural fix. Saul has been pressing new buttons, too (see his instagram link, below) and discovering that in social media world, January is the new February for seed sowing. Is this wise, or should seed packets remain closed a little longer? Listen in to find out their thoughts... Instagram link: LinkedIn link: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 294 - It's back to business as usual, as the TalkingHeads duo reunite for 2026...Saul's new job is both exciting but a lot to process, and Lucy is in her garden with her new topiary tools! | 17 janv. 2026 | 00:35:58 | |
Winter is here in the UK, so while Saul and Lucy hunker down, don layers and fire up the kettle more frequently than usual, what do their minds turn to in the garden? This is the perfect season for clearance of 2025 growth, for establishing new designs and for de-cluttering stores and greenhouses. Any hours that you can put into the garden now, will reward you hugely come spring and summer, when the jobs mount up. Quick - more tea and biscuits! Finally the #hortiwaffle returns, as Saul has managed to break the surface of his new job and the information overload that is coming his way, and spend some time digesting his first few exciting weeks with Plant Heritage. Lucy, fresh of a false start week, is back into compost turning and topiary pruning. But the pair are really enjoying the winter structure the garden provides at this time of year, the promise of new growth to come and most of all enjoying another year in the wonderful world of horticulture! Instagram link: Saul plantsmansaul LinkedIn link: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 293 - We hope you've enjoyed the first 10 days of January - Lucy, frustratingly, has had a false start. Her gardening has been sandwiched between snow and storms, so what do gardeners do when the winter weather plays havoc with their plans? | 10 janv. 2026 | 00:39:08 | |
Winter is here in the UK, so while Saul and Lucy hunker down, don layers and fire up the kettle more frequently than usual, what do their minds turn to in the garden? This is the perfect season for clearance of 2025 growth, for establishing new designs and for de-cluttering stores and greenhouses. Any hours that you can put into the garden now, will reward you hugely come spring and summer, when the jobs mount up. Quick - more tea and biscuits! And they're off! While Saul enjoys his new life in a warm, dry office, Lucy is dodging the weather whilst still attempting to earn a crust (thank goodness for gardening radio and magazines :-). Snowfall and storm Goretti force her to dance the merry winter waltz, as she sidesteps sleet and soggy spells. Her body also reminds her that two weeks of doing very little physically, followed by intense compost hurling then a rapid cooldown, spells a date with Mr Nurophen and Master Wheatbag. Onwards and upwards then, for next week! LinkedIn link: Instagram link: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 292 - It's the final episode! (of 2025, that is :-) This week, Saul prepares himself for life after Stonelands whilst Lucy performs some serious surgery on a mower. And what do the professional duo make of the RHS predictions for 2026? Tune in... | 20 déc. 2025 | 00:40:34 | |
Winter is arriving in the UK, so while Saul and Lucy hunker down, don layers and fire up the kettle more frequently than usual, what do their minds turn to in the garden? This is the perfect season for clearance of 2025 growth, for establishing new designs and for de-cluttering stores and greenhouses. Any hours that you can put into the garden now, will reward you hugely come spring and summer, when the jobs mount up. Quick - more tea and biscuits! Will it snow this Christmas? Will Saul ever manage to finally retrieve all his plants from Stonelands? Will Lucy push the John Deere to breaking point this time? Only listening to this final episode of 2025 will answer these burning questions, as we get the ever truly authentic recollections of the professional gardening life. More importantly, though - what do Lucy and Saul think of the predictions for 2026, set by the RHS (luckily, the year of the tomato and the year of the tropicals are both in there). It's unlikely that either podcaster will be piercing their water butt anytime soon, though... Instagram link: LinkedIn link: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 291 - This week we're joined by northern gardener and star of the Pots and Trowels podcast - Martin Fish - as we talk about the gardening year gone by, the one coming up and his garden at home. | 13 déc. 2025 | 00:42:08 | |
Winter is arriving in the UK, so while Saul and Lucy hunker down, don layers and fire up the kettle more frequently than usual, what do their minds turn to in the garden? This is the perfect season for clearance of 2025 growth, for establishing new designs and for de-cluttering stores and greenhouses. Any hours that you can put into the garden now, will reward you hugely come spring and summer, when the jobs mount up. Quick - more tea and biscuits! Many of our listeners will know Martin Fish from his wonderful podcast Pots and Trowels - a gardener very much anchored in the Northern climes of the UK but also a Senior Show judge, Gardens advisor for the RHS and former nursery man. Martin (along with his wide Gill) has been an ever present fixture at many Flower Shows and always has his finger on the pulse of gardening in this country. So we have a good chat about the state of horticulture especially at the Flower Shows and also a little insight into his new garden too. LinkedIn link: Instagram link: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 290 - It's the custard cream episode! Lucy sandwiches some genuinely exciting gardening conversation in between two beautifully decorated vanilla biscuits this week - while Saul does his best to clear Stonelands of the Walker legacy... | 06 déc. 2025 | 00:33:49 | |
Winter is arriving in the UK, so while Saul and Lucy hunker down, don layers and fire up the kettle more frequently than usual, what do their minds turn to in the garden? This is the perfect season for clearance of 2025 growth, for establishing new designs and for de-cluttering stores and greenhouses. Any hours that you can put into the garden now, will reward you hugely come spring and summer, when the jobs mount up. Quick - more tea and biscuits! Podcast listeners have turned Lucy's head from the garden this week, as talk of her favourite biscuit reach a peak. But, she's regained her focus by making Christmas wreaths and playing with her new toy: the Scheppach RS400 compost sieve. Saul, meanwhile has been taking a spin in the Stonelands' 4x4, to source a Christmas tree for the family. He's also been attempting to extract himself physically and emotionally from the Stonelands estate - a process that is taking him longer than anticipated. Wisley glasshouse staff, watch out... LinkedIn link: Instagram link: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 289 - Not much gardening going on - but that doesn't mean the #TalkingHeads pair don't have some big news about their lives in Horticulture...has Lucy finally tracked down those custard creams.... | 29 nov. 2025 | 00:32:46 | |
Autumn is here on the Talking Heads podcast - as the last vestiges of Summer in the garden dodge the wet and windy weather while trying to give the last hurrah before that inevitable but pleasantly seasonable slide into the hibernation of winter. But gardeners never sleep so Lucy and Saul are still out and about in their plots plying the horticultural trade they both love. So join them both for more horti-waffle and insights into the life of the modern, professional gardener. Leaves, frost and rain...that's been this Autumn summed up...so not much gardening talk on todays podcast but instead two pieces of huge news in Saul and Lucy's lives. After 10 years of early mornings, tractor breakdowns and the occasional piece of cake Saul is leaving Stonelands to take up a new job role at Plant Heritage, while Lucy becomes a two-time winner of the Garden Media Guilds Practical Journalist of the Year! You would have thought the pair were good at their jobs...well lets find out.. Instagram link: LinkedIn link: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 288 - The teabreak episode! What does the working week of a modern professional gardener involve? As we delve inside Lucy's schedule, we discover what forms the backbone upon which winter physical work rests - a lot of tea and biscuits... | 22 nov. 2025 | 00:37:09 | |
Autumn is here on the Talking Heads podcast - as the last vestiges of Summer in the garden dodge the wet and windy weather while trying to give the last hurrah before that inevitable but pleasantly seasonable slide into the hibernation of winter. But gardeners never sleep so Lucy and Saul are still out and about in their plots plying the horticultural trade they both love. So join them both for more horti-waffle and insights into the life of the modern, professional gardener. Balancing clients, weather, school runs and shifting workloads is all part and parcel of the professional gardener's lifestyle, so Lucy lets us listen in on her teabreaks this week to reveal exactly what her diary involves. Whether she's judging tide times on Mersea Island, dodging rainclouds in her village or dashing across town to help out her smallholder parents, there's never a dull moment and each week poses different challenges. But, of course, there's always time for a much-loved biscuit (or mince pie, or jam doughnut, or slice of lemon drizzle, or....). Instagram link: LinkedIn link: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 287 - Half a million downloads!!!! Thank you to all who listen to the professional horticultural duo that make up the Talking Heads podcast. Lucy and Saul celebrate this milestone with - you've guessed it - some top-quality hortiwaffle! | 08 nov. 2025 | 00:33:40 | |
Autumn is here on the Talking Heads podcast - as the last vestiges of Summer in the garden dodge the wet and windy weather while trying to give the last hurrah before that inevitable but pleasantly seasonable slide into the hibernation of winter. But gardeners never sleep so Lucy and Saul are still out and about in their plots plying the horticultural trade they both love. So join them both for more horti-waffle and insights into the life of the modern, professional gardener. Wow - who on earth would have thought that from that first episode six years ago we'd now be celebrating our 500,000th download - but here we are! An almighty "thank you!" from Saul and Lucy - we are blown away and have an extra spring in our gardening steps this week. We celebrate in the only way we know how - by talking in depth about leaf mould, of course! Lignin, cellulose, fungi and the passage of time all get placed under the TH spotlight. And are you pruning your clematis earlier and earlier? Lucy and Saul have both observed this phenomenon - a sign of the shifting times. LinkedIn link: Instagram link: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 286 - While the wind whistles outside Saul and Lucy take a look at the RHS State of Gardening Report, an eye-opening look at the Horticultural world including the new RHS Hort Hub on their website | 01 nov. 2025 | 00:38:13 | |
Autumn is here on the Talking Heads podcast - as the last vestiges of Summer in the garden dodge the wet and windy weather while trying to give the last hurrah before that inevitable but pleasantly seasonable slide into the hibernation of winter. But gardeners never sleep so Lucy and Saul are still out and about in their plots plying the horticultural trade they both love. So join them both for more horti-waffle and insights into the life of the modern, professional gardener. The Autumn peak has been and gone, and leaves are dominating the ground especially with the squally winds and rain - it's still quite mild though! The big news in the industry at the moment though is the RHS State of Gardening Report, a deep dive into everything gardening especially what our indistry contributes to the economy, health, the environment and to society in general, an interesting and often eye opening look at why Horticulture is great! Also launched recently is the RHS Horticultural Hub, for those gardeners who know their onions and want to get into a more in depth look of their favourite hobby or job. Instagram link: LinkedIn link: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 285 - Storm Benjamin has brought wind and rain this week, so how do Lucy and Saul deal with the natural deluge of leaves? Apples are also bountiful, and Saul explains how his orchard harvest goes to a very good cause | 25 oct. 2025 | 00:33:11 | |
Autumn is here on the Talking Heads podcast - as the last vestiges of Summer in the garden dodge the wet and windy weather while trying to give the last hurrah before that inevitable but pleasantly seasonable slide into the hibernation of winter. But gardeners never sleep so Lucy and Saul are still out and about in their plots plying the horticultural trade they both love. So join them both for more horti-waffle and insights into the life of the modern, professional gardener. It's squally out there! With the podcast being recorded on the eve of Storm Benjamin's arrival, Saul and Lucy are turning their thoughts to one of the major autumn tasks - leaf clearing. While it's key to get this fallen foliage off the lawns, is it essential to remove autumn leaves from borders? The duo give this concept practical consideration. And it's been an incredible year for apples, this year, so much so that Stonelands has produced tonnes of fruit. Lucky Plymouth listeners can get their hands on this prestigious harvest - Saul explains how. Instagram link: LinkedIn link: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 284 - Is Autumn colour starting in your garden - the Talking Heads pair are revelling in the buttery yellows and fiery reds as the transition from Summer really starts to kick in.... | 11 oct. 2025 | 00:33:51 | |
Autumn is here on the Talking Heads podcast - as the last vestiges of Summer in the garden dodge the wet and windy weather while trying to give the last hurrah before that inevitable but pleasantly seasonable slide into the hibernation of winter. But gardeners never sleep so Lucy and Saul are still out and about in their plots plying the horticultural trade they both love. So join them both for more horti-waffle and insights into the life of the modern, professional gardener. The pinnacle of the Autumn season is almost upon us as the trees up and down the UK turn their seasonal colours and end our garden season with one of the finest spectacles we've seen in years - make sure you get to your local arboretum or garden this year to see what colours your local trees are turning. We also answer a question on overwintering plants in the more extreme weather of Scotland, and end with a plea to join your local garden club, leave the internet behind and have a good natter with actual in-person gardeners, nothing is better on a darker evening with a mug of tea and bourbon! LinkedIn link: Instagram link: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 283 - This week, Lucy and Saul turn their attention towards key autumn tasks, like lawn care and hedge pruning. Plus, both gardeners have had machinery break down on them, which is a good excuse for a tinker - or a flex of the staff credit card! | 04 oct. 2025 | 00:35:08 | |
Autumn is here on the Talking Heads podcast - as the last vestiges of Summer in the garden dodge the wet and windy weather while trying to give the last hurrah before that inevitable but pleasantly seasonable slide into the hibernation of winter. But gardeners never sleep so Lucy and Saul are still out and about in their plots plying the horticultural trade they both love. So join them both for more horti-waffle and insights into the life of the modern, professional gardener. It's the hedges and edges episode! Saul and Lucy have both been flexing their muscles on long-pole hedgecutters and lawnmowers this week. Machinery reliance always comes with the risk of breakdown, though, and both gardeners have had issues with their hedging equipment - at this point we either tinker, or upgrade! Pitmaston Pineapple apple has given a bumper harvest for Saul, and Lucy's fruit thinning has worked its magic, too - the fruit stores at Stonelands and Kingsland are burgeoning as a consequence. LinkedIn link: Instagram link: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 282 - A listener's question special - Pelargoniums need overwintering, but how and where - and when overwintering in a greenhouse what's best for frost protection - the #TalkingHeads Pair discuss. | 27 sept. 2025 | 00:28:24 | |
Autumn is here on the Talking Heads podcast - as the last vestiges of Summer in the garden dodge the wet and windy weather while trying to give the last hurrah before that inevitable but pleasantly seasonable slide into the hibernation of winter. But gardeners never sleep so Lucy and Saul are still out and about in their plots plying the horticultural trade they both love. So join them both for more horti-waffle and insights into the life of the modern, professional gardener. This week Lucy has had two of of fantastic listeners write to her with questions about how we garden in the winter - specifically how to overwinter precious Pelargoniums and if your using a greenhouse how best to frost-proof it and make sure your precious plants survive. We also commiserate ourselves on broken vehicles - remember to send us your old banger photos - and the gremlins continue to infect even this podcast......! Instagram link: LinkedIn link: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 281 - It's the management episode! A Head Gardener's role involves many tasks, and managing staff, time, budgets, client expectations and other responsibilities within this job can be a juggle. Listen as Saul and Lucy discuss their experiences | 20 sept. 2025 | 00:34:54 | |
Autumn is here on the Talking Heads podcast - as the last vestiges of Summer in the garden dodge the wet and windy weather while trying to give the last hurrah before that inevitable but pleasantly seasonable slide into the hibernation of winter. But gardeners never sleep so Lucy and Saul are still out and about in their plots plying the horticultural trade they both love. So join them both for more horti-waffle and insights into the life of the modern, professional gardener. Last week, Lucy and Saul were posed an excellent listener question: Jo asks - how did we progress into our head gardening roles and the associated people management? What were the difficulties, were we given any training, and how did we find the experience? Well Jo, consider your question answered! The blessing of this horticultural industry is that everybody can experience different scenarios - and Saul and Lucy are no different. Oh, but we do both offer excellent green woodpecker experiences as part of our apprenticeships... Instagram link: LinkedIn link: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||
| Ep. 280 - The #Horti-waffle pair reunite after Saul has enjoyed some well deserved holiday, and Lucy, being a dutiful child, has some father-daughter time rigging up a brassica cage. | 13 sept. 2025 | 00:35:02 | |
Autumn is here on the Talking Heads podcast - as the last vestiges of Summer in the garden dodge the wet and windy weather while trying to give the last hurrah before that inevitable but pleasantly seasonable slide into the hibernation of winter. But gardeners never sleep so Lucy and Saul are still out and about in their plots plying the horticultural trade they both love. So join them both for more horti-waffle and insights into the life of the modern, professional gardener. Saul returns from his holidays (technically he is actually still on them!) and Lucy drags herself away from that tropical border to come to the aid to a Dad with a Brassica Cage. Upcycling is the name of the game when it comes to protecting those Brussel sprouts, plus a few cub-scout worth knots! Also hedging is still dominating the gardeners day-job - when will the miles of foliage that needs trimming end! LinkedIn link: Instagram link: Intro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io | |||