Welcome to grow, cook, eat, arrange, the weekly podcast from gardener, writer, teacher,and cook, Sarah Raven. Over the last two decades, Sarah has led the way by introducing a new kind of productive gardening which places emphasis on intense colour, sophistication, and achievability. Recorded at the beautiful Perch Hill Farm in Sussex, Sarah talks with special guests from across garden design, floristry, food, ecology, conservation, and more. Brimming with top tips and helpful hints, listen and learn how to create your most productive garden ever. You can find out more about the products discussed in each episode or get in touch by visiting the website: https://www.sarahraven.com/
Site
RSS
Spotify
Apple
Data updated on 18/09/2026
Recent rankings
Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.
Shared links between episodes and podcasts
Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.
Discover shows related to grow, cook, eat, arrange with Sarah Raven & friends, based on actual content similarities. Explore podcasts with similar topics, themes, and formats, backed by real data.
Andy Monaghan: Why Perennials are the star performers in every garden - Episode 292
Episode 292
Thursday, September 17, 2026 • Duration 26:40
Andy Monaghan is a wonderfully creative soul both in the garden and beyond it, sharing his talents as a professional dancer and spending his “off season” knee‑deep in tulips, zinnias and prairie perennials.
In this episode, Sarah is joined by Andy, a florist, flower grower and dancer, to choose the finest tulips for a collection that will come back year after year. They talk perennial tulips, resilient planting for hot dry summers, and the quiet joy of designing gardens that can cope with a changing climate.
In this episode, discover:
How Andy built a three‑tulip collection around perennial performers like ‘Artist’, ‘Don Pedro’ and the ‘Sarah Raven’ tulip
Practical ways to choose tulips and perennials that cope better with heat, drought and changing weather
The reality of juggling two creative careers across seasons of the year
Which plants thrived in a hot summer, from zinnias and prairie perennials to dahlias and phlox
Ideas for designing both larger flower plots and small town gardens
Revisiting key jobs in the garden for September - Episode 291
Episode 291
Thursday, September 10, 2026 • Duration 09:13
September is a turning point in the gardening calendar, a month in which we’re preparing our plants - as we are ourselves - for the colder months.
Sarah and Josie join forces this week to share the key jobs you should prioritise at this point in the year - from focusing on your edibles to deadheading your dahlias. September is also the time to plant out your biennials before the cold sets in, start forcing bulbs, and take cuttings of your tender perennials.
Tom Stimpson: The best narcissi from our visit to the Netherlands - Episode 290
Episode 290
Thursday, September 3, 2026 • Duration 19:41
From the first November blooms to the last flowers in May, narcissus can quietly carry your garden through the whole of spring.
In this week’s ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Tom Stimpson joins Sarah as they unpack what they found on a whirlwind narcissus trip to the Netherlands – from finely bred, climate‑resilient varieties to pots that brim with scent on the coldest days.
They share their favourite tried‑and‑tested daffodils for pots, borders and cutting, and the key characteristics they now look for.
In this episode, discover:
How to plan a simple narcissus succession so you have daffodils in flower from November through to May
The named varieties Sarah and Tom rate for pots, borders and cutting, such as ‘Avalanche’, ‘February Gold’ and ‘Starlight Sensation’
Practical ideas for making your space work harder, including interplanting narcissus with dahlias for almost seamless colour
Josie Lewis: Protect your bulbs with squirrel-proof pot toppers - Episode 289
Episode 289
Thursday, August 27, 2026 • Duration 22:35
If grey squirrels have ever stripped your pots overnight or raided a carefully planted bulb lasagne, there are ways to protect your perfectly composed pots.
Sarah is joined by Josie Lewis this week to share what’s actually worked at Perch Hill after years of trials – from cleverly laid thorny rose prunings to beautiful pot toppers that protect bulbs and earn their keep.
In this episode, discover:
How Sarah and Josie protect freshly planted bulbs from grey squirrels and other pests without relying on ugly or ineffective solutions
Exactly how to use thorny stems as a simple, physical barrier over pots through autumn and winter
Which ornamental plants make the best pot toppers over bulbs, and where each works best
How to use edible pot toppers such as hardy lettuces and salad leaves to both shield bulbs and provide generous harvests before tulips emerge
Tom Stimpson: The magic of mini-bulbs for a pint-sized garden - Episode 288
Episode 288
Thursday, August 20, 2026 • Duration 17:51
We’re stepping once more into Tom Stimpson’s tiny town garden to see how he coaxes months of colour from the smallest of spaces.
In this episode, Tom shares the mini bulbs that have truly earned their keep in pots and window boxes – from long-flowering iris and species tulips to cheerful muscari and dwarf narcissus.
Together we explore simple planting “recipes”, clever table‑top displays, and a low‑maintenance watering approach that lets the weather do most of the work.
In this episode, discover:
How Tom turns a tiny town garden into months of spring colour using mini bulbs in pots, tabletops and window boxes
Which small bulbs really earn their keep in containers – from Ipheion ‘Alberto Castillo’ and ‘Wisley Blue’ to favourite species tulips and dwarf narcissus
Simple ways to plan a small-space bulb display, including easy paper layouts and colour planning
A low-maintenance watering approach for bulbs in pots that relies on deep, occasional soaking rather than constant fussing
Practical tricks for protecting bulbs from squirrels and how to give narcissi, muscari and Iris reticulata a second life in borders.
Tom Stimpson: How to curate low-maintenance, long-lasting perennial pots - Episode 287
Episode 287
Thursday, August 13, 2026 • Duration 23:30
If you love the idea of beautiful pots that don’t need replanting every five minutes, perennials in a container can be the perfect solution, and just as stunning as a bed or a border.
Tom Stimpson returns to discuss trusted “banker” perennials for containers – from long-flowering hellebores and acers underplanted with geraniums, to hydrangeas, heucheras and beloved agapanthus.
You’ll hear exactly which combinations have stood the test of time in Tom’s garden as well as at Perch Hill, and how to get colour from winter through to late autumn.
In this episode, discover:
How to design perennial pots that give you colour and structure from winter through to late autumn, without constant replanting
Which plants Sarah and Tom rely on most strongly for containers
Practical planting combinations for small gardens, such as Pittosporum with hellebores and scabious, or an acer underplanted with Geranium ‘Rozanne’
A realistic regime for watering, feeding and deadheading perennial pots so they stay sturdy rather than sappy
Tom Stimpson: Forcing bulbs for a wonderful winter indoors - Episode 286
Episode 286
Thursday, August 6, 2026 • Duration 20:01
We’re approaching the perfect moment for bulb planting, and if you’re looking to force bulbs for a lovely indoor winter, then look no further than the sage advice of Tom Stimpson.
In this episode, Sarah and Tom - our Head of Horticulture - share their favourite bulbs to force indoors, and how to pot and water them, plus a few simple tricks to keep them flowering for weeks on end.
In this episode, discover:
The best bulbs to force indoors, from dramatic amaryllis and classic paperwhites to scented narcissus, hyacinths and tiny muscari
Simple methods for planting, positioning and watering indoor bulbs so they flower reliably
The importance of “mean” watering to avoid rot and keep flowers lasting longer
Easy ways to move forced bulbs from house to garden so they go on to provide colour and cut stems for seasons to come
Dame Laura Lee DBE: The emotive garden design behind Maggie’s centres - Episode 285
Episode 285
Thursday, July 30, 2026 • Duration 22:37
When cancer enters a life, it carries a profound impact on the places in which you seek comfort, which is why the human-centred gardens at Maggie’s centres are so unbelievably important.
In this powerful episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Sarah talks to Dame Laura Lee from Maggie’s, about how beautifully designed, garden-centred spaces are changing the experience of cancer care for patients and their families.
In this episode, discover:
How one simple question sparked the creation of Maggie’s Centres and a new idea of cancer support
Why the design of a space can change how it feels to live with cancer
What actually happens when someone walks from the hospital into a Maggie’s Centre
How Maggie’s supports not only patients but their families and friends through the process
The role of gardens and seasons as a gentle way to talk about hope, uncertainty, treatment, and even end of life
12 winter veg to keep you harvesting until April - Episode 284
Episode 284
Thursday, July 23, 2026 • Duration 18:48
If you’ve ever let your vegetable garden wind down after summer, there’s a whole season you’re missing out on.
This week on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Sarah breaks the year into two simple seasons and shows you exactly what to sow now so you can keep picking right through the grey months.
From hardy salads and herbs to kales and chards, she shares 12 tried-and-tested crops that genuinely thrive in a UK winter.
In this episode, discover:
How to divide the gardening year into two simple seasons so you can plan for year-round harvests
Which 12 tried-and-tested crops Sarah relies on for winter and early spring eating
The exact sowing window for late-summer and early-autumn sowings, and why timing is crucial if you want strong plants going into winter
Practical ways to cook and enjoy your winter veg, including Sarah’s wilted kale salad, and how to use herbs to brighten cold-season salads
Matthew Rice: How to look, draw and paint your garden - Episode 283
Episode 283
Thursday, July 16, 2026 • Duration 25:46
Stepping out into the garden with a sketchbook in hand is a novel, powerful practice which, given time, can transform the way we look at plants we think that we know like the back of our hand.
In this week’s podcast episode, Sarah is joined by artist and gardener Matthew Rice to explore how drawing becomes a kind of “recorded looking” that deepens our relationship with flowers and gardens - from choosing the right subjects and materials to capturing the feeling of a border in full swing.
In this episode, discover:
How drawing functions as “recorded looking”, helping deepen your relationship with your garden
Which flowers and garden plants are most forgiving to draw as a beginner, and practical ways to get started with garden drawing
Where Matthew Rice finds inspiration, from historic watercolourists to everyday details in his own greenhouse and garden
