Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The Garden Log

Can the English Cottage Garden survive in the new world of scorching summers and blasted borders?

Is there still a place for higgledy beauty and perennial favourites in our strange new world? Find out in this 500 year history of the nation's most beloved garden style.

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Celebrating the beauty and strangeness of plants.

This week we lope into the half-shade with graceful Magnolia kobus, elegant Abutilon 'Patrick Synge' and the monstrous Hydrangea aspera 'Bellevue', before bursting into the light with golden Acacia pravissima (the sawtooth wattle), duskyVitis vinifera 'Incana', and the tiny-leaved Myrtus communis subsp. tarentina.

Also featuring one of the finest accounts of plant hunting The Mountains of the Moon and a recommendation of what to read in gardening this this week.

https://www.thegardencollective.uk/ben-dark/

https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/463428/green-kingdom-by-dark-ben/9781847928337

An existential defence of high maintenance gardening. Why should we strive for ease when working outside feels so good? With some carex, some meristems and some plant morphology for good measure.

And thank you for preordering Green Kingdom! https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/463428/green-kingdom-by-dark-ben/9781847928337

In this post-rain episode of cult gardening podcast The Garden Log we say goodbye to the universal uncle Monty Don who is to retire from Gardeners' World.

But our Gardeners' World keeps turning, so also enjoy introductions to the gorgeous autumn snowflake (Acis autumnalis) and the Corsican knotweed (Polygonum scoparium) a must-have evergreen perennial for the dry garden.

In this late summer sunset of an episode Ben visits Down House, home of Charles Darwin, considers the hybrid geranium and praises the Michaelmas daisy.

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Are the best gardens designed or created? Why are there beetles crawling on my World of Interiors magazine? What cut flowers would go with my collection of pornographic postcards? These and other important questions answered in the guide to effortless good taste.

For more of this sort of thing join me at https://www.thegardencollective.uk/ben-dark/

Two very different 3am trips to the garden this week as heat gives way to rain. Also, using soft cuttings and plastic cups to make plants from plants, some Musa basjoo, some Clerodendrum trichotomum, some Solanum laciniatum and some flower crab spiders, plus of course, aspidistra: ‘They’re a dashed important subject,'

And here's the link to the How to Academy event: https://tickets.howtoacademy.com/the-epic-family-history-of-plants-tickets/worldwide-live-stream/2026-10-27-18-00

Love to all you gardeners and gardening people

How will our gardens look in the future? Ben visits the new garden in Grosvenor Square with its Nigel Dunnett planting to find out.

Also featuring: tragedy at bathtime; some borrowed seedlings; a 4000 year old stumpery and Tom Stoppard's Arcadia at the Duke of York Theatre.

And if you enjoyed any of that then of course you must pre order my book

https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/463428/green-kingdom-by-dark-ben/9781847928337

Is Thomas Knight the greatest villain in the history of fruit growing? And how does a Frenchman's marriage influence the rose gardens of England? These and other very important questions answered in an episode of The Garden Log recorded in the bleached white of a Herefordshire summer.

If you enjoyed any of this history, gardening and plants podcast then consider preordering my book here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/463428/green-kingdom-by-dark-ben/9781847928337

We find ourselves at the mercy of forces beyond our control and hide from the wind and sun under a leafy bowers of the Baroque garden at Gammel Holtegård. A gardening podcast.

Here is the mega-discount for Americans

https://www.amazon.com/Green-Kingdom-Family-History-Plants-ebook/dp/B0H5D7H8PZ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=RP2TBN1HHA7K&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Bo_HP2EzIae79kSPW1fmkfmTi9cnIVFFedPWaFTKxy0IhNjqQnZmyw-9-Z9S3g2jUQyqpYp_2RZl8cdrCj0pn2uM4vQuzbP_WVV8Qfhn4oqoQqDoC8jNUq0lTckYckglCI7jTvkCL2wOhWxoyDf544YrlxKILoJeqIL-hlNBtaY.JA2A3bZ2AXgmhMakyG53ufPM7AVr6d6RpTFwXDD6vsM&dib_tag=se&keywords=green+kingdom+a+family+history+of+plants&qid=1785172825&s=books&sprefix=green+kingdom+a+family+history+of+plan%2Cstripbooks%2C349&sr=1-1

Lots of love

Just after the summer's hinge, Ben eats his neigbours' soft fruit, considers the lily and reads that all-time classic of garden writing The Education of a Gardener.

Here's the link to the Garden Collective: https://www.thegardencollective.uk/ben-dark/

Green Kingdom here:

https://www.thegardencollective.uk/ben-dark/

Welcome to season 2 of the Garden Log.

Ben says goodbye to the Danish garden and prepares to return to London. Featuring, seeds, clones and the horticultural spirits that linger when we leave.

In this excellent episode Ben finds roses like cats, lawns like dunes and flowers like clothes pegs. Also featuring a few simple tricks to stop things dying.

Its a sultry spring day on the Garden Log. We muse on the kindness of strangers, advise on planting for a rubble-strewn drive and yearn for romance.

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In this recreation of a lost walk Ben visits the garden of G. N Brandt (deceased) who brought the arts and crafts movement to Denmark and whose modest orchard-watergarden-woodland survives in the suburbs north of Copenhagen.

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Its spring and Ben is gardening hard. In a special dispatch from the flowerbeds he reports on sparrows, cosmos and creeping jenny. Also featuring a trip to the fairground, tabloid libel and a woman named X

Ben discusses Ornithogolum, irises, poppies and golden fleece. Also featuring a trip to the Boboli gardens in Florence and a reading from The Grove: A Nature Odyssey in 19 1/2 Front Gardens - recently described by The Daily Telegraph as 'the best gardening book of 2022' and available to order from everywhere here: linktr.ee/bendark

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In this special episode of The Garden Log Ben walks out one mid-spring morning in search of beauty and blossom. The pavements brings him plants, thoughts, birdsong and some sort of helicopter, all of which are lovingly reported on.

For more of this sort of thing try The Grove: Available to order now:

https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-grove/ben-dark/9781784727383

The garden log comes out in favour of seed heads, weeds some beds, throws some droops, sees some shoots - you know, gardening stuff!

For events tickets go here - https://linktr.ee/bendark

What's more tangled: a neglected climber or or human morality? The Garden Log sticks its head into thorns and finds out.

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Ben takes to the seed compost, hunts cactus through the snow and talks about his new book, which, by the way, is available to buy here! https://linktr.ee/bendark

Celebrate the return of the Garden Log with some of your favourite shrubs!

Plus mulch shovelling, cotinus and some dodgey but lovable carex

In this starling-squalled episode of the Garden Log Ben is turned away from the botanic garden and makes his way to the mountains of Italy to talk about vegetables, olives and the Villa Cimbrone

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Ben tours the fruit trees of Bernstorff Slotshave, discovers a nuttery and uses it to muse on pruning, ivy, bees, wasps, dogs, figs, cliffs and trees.

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In Ben's first ever outdoor recording for the Garden Log he is driven from a historic kitchen garden to wander in search of euonymus, yew trees and friendly dogs.

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In this northerly episode of The Garden Log Ben discusses lime trees, hollyhocks, hedge heights and salsify and is refreshed by the Scandinavian approach to Japanese Knotweed.

In the last episode of the Garden Log's three-and-half-year 'season 1' Ben reflects on the garden and looks forward a new chapter…

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Spring breezes blow the daffodils as Ben reports on the damage that winter hath wrought and the beauty of new growth

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In this midwinter episode of the Garden Log Ben plays dice with the Gods of Winter, prunes ground cover roses and discusses the newty beauty of psuedopanax

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Ben discusses snowdrop planting, creates a forget-me-not dream screen and warns of the dangers of the plum bun.

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Hello! Ben here. It's wet. The garden is half-flooded and really only good for eels and starfish. But never mind! We're planting bright yellow achillea to cheer everybody up. All aboard for another voyage on H.M.S Horticulture.

In this season-straddling episode of the Garden Log Ben discusses the art of horticultural gossip, rides a new machine, names many beetles and get the business of bulb planting under way.

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n this hot and humid episode of Britain's Best Gardening Podcast Ben deals with a rambling rose, learns a new technique and tries to hide the damage of midsummer heat.

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In this wind buffeted episode of the Garden Log Ben takes a risk in the compost heap, plants some very special trees and batters the hedges.

This week the gardeners spread outrageous herbaceous perennials to all corners of the garden and report from the meadow.

Ligularia 'Zepter' Centranthus ruber 'Albus' Rodgersia aesculifolia Astrantia major 'Gill Richardson' Iris 'Dusky Challenger' Geranium 'Sirak' Cynara cardunculus Coreopsis grandiflora 'Sunray'

The Albertus Oak Mysteries: Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0871XW1HC

Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B084TRFVNF

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In this daring episode of Britain's favourite gardening podcast Ben comes up the wrong side of the weather, explains how to divide dahlias and encounters an exciting new plant.

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In this episode of the Garden Log Ben returns after three weeks in lockdown to find the grounds more beautiful than ever. Also: aphids, cleomes and the hart's tongue fern. https://ko-fi.com/bendark

In this locked-down edition of the Garden Log Ben takes a horticultural stroll, makes a case for blowsy tulips and reconsiders the London amelanchier.

Soothing noises for troubled times

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Ben modifies a large pinus sylvestris, plants green mondo grass and develops a nostalgic new form of gardening. All this and more in horticultures most discursive podcast.

In this blustery episode of the Garden Log Ben and the team carry out some subterranean demolition, find a tree corpse, and plant 458 herbaceous perennials

In this January episode of The Garden Log Ben ties in fruit trees, makes a bet on a daffodil and rescues some asters from a heap of dumped clay. Also, musings on the season to come, general plant chat and very nice sunrise. All this and more on England's finest horticultural podcast!

In this episode of the Garden Log Ben celebrates very happy news, makes some awful horticultural mistakes, plants roses and talks of irrigation.

In this early December episode of the Garden Log Ben plants bulbs at three per second, worries about citrus trees, looks into the rooting capacity of autumn soil and encounters mob justice in Finsbury Park

In this November episode of the garden log Ben rescues a flopped wisteria, plants vast quantities of spring bulbs, starts the mulching and discusses the best technique for clearing leaves from saturated soil.

In this blazing autumnal episode of the Garden Log Ben takes a trip to Mottisfont Abbey and RHS Wisley. Also, hellebores, peonies, variegated yew, mud eating and much much more

Head Gardener Ben Dark considers the dock, rejects time travel, splits bananas and plants cyclamen

This week the Garden Log gets into the weeds. Barrowloads of brambles, some nettles, wood avens, ground elder, dandelions and purple cherry plum.

Also! Dog's tooth violets, camassias, water pipes and flooded lanes.

In this sun-kissed episode of the garden log we mix bedding plants with grasses, plant up an ancient stone trough and slander Edwardian sailors. A podcast for people who like gardens and the people who garden them.

In this episode of the Garden Log we scythe the last sweet grass of summer, spread fine mulch and sings a cricket's song.

As mentioned on the podcast, to see me at the landscape show register here: http://www.landscapeshow.co.uk/register

In this episode of the Garden Log Ben summons the Elder Gods, meets a canary fancying diamond magnate and trims the wisteria.

Solomon Joel's garden party - https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-foxhill-estate-1926-online

Hampton Court: Our growing year - https://www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/whats-on/hampton-court-gardens/our-growing-year/#gs.xkd84m

Gherado Cibo's plantain - https://www.moleiro.com/en/books-of-medicine/dioscorides-by-mattioli-and-cibo/miniatura/broadleaf-plantain-dioscorides

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