Explore every episode of the podcast Growing (with) All Gardening and Phil Argent
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 275: April 2024 - Thinking Time | 09 Apr 2024 | 00:31:06 | |
April is a time for tea and travelling on trains, we'll When it rains every day there is little to do in the gardens. Join me Phil Argent as I open up my mind and share some thoughts and insights into Growing All Gardening and anything else that comes to mind. For all the Growing All Gardening episodes head to https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/allgardening To learn about Lawn Plan and All Gardening https://www.allgardening.co.uk/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AllGardeningls Instagram https://www.instagram.com/allgardeningls | |||
| 274: March 2024 - Thinking Time | 20 Mar 2024 | 00:32:10 | |
March we like to celebrate the end of winter and the coming of spring, but this year it's been a wet, very wet March. I talk about March and some of the good and some of the not-so-good. Join me Phil Argent as I open up my mind and share some thoughts and insights into Growing All Gardening and anything else that comes to mind. For all the Growing All Gardening episodes head to https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/allgardening To learn about Lawn Plan and All Gardening https://www.allgardening.co.uk/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AllGardeningls Instagram https://www.instagram.com/allgardeningls | |||
| 265: Keep the lights on. | 16 Nov 2023 | 00:17:36 | |
The more I stay focused on Lawn Plan and doing One Thing Well, the more I'm digging into doing things better, I mean really better, and the more I'm trying to even out the business model. Today I concluded 2 major breakthroughs:
Building a business can be fun, but you have to be super focused on getting so much right. And as I've said before, whilst growing grass might be simple, running a business that does it is not easy. So few do. Join me Phil Argent as I open up my mind and share some thoughts and insights into Growing All Gardening and anything else that comes to mind. For all the Growing All Gardening episodes head to https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/allgardening To learn about Lawn Plan and All Gardening https://www.allgardening.co.uk/ https://www.facebook.com/AllGardeningPinner/ | |||
| 175: How scarification changes everything | 22 Feb 2023 | 00:06:25 | |
Today is a scarification day. We're just ahead of the growing season, but things are in patches starting to grow. Which is ideal for lawn scarification, early spring is the best time of year to scarify your lawn. The one thing about a lawn that never stops surprises me is this, your lawn can only get better or worst, it can never stay the same. Why? Every year, every season is different. How it grows will be different. How it's cut will be different. How the weather is will be different, obviously. How it struggles in summer will be different (depending on hosepipe bans). How moss and weeds build up in the lawn will be different. So some years like this year there is a bit of work to do to pull the lawns back into order. Last year (2022) it was a hot and very dry summer season, tricky for lawns, there was a hose pipe ban very early, and therefore lots and lots of lawns would have been cut a tad too short coming out of summer in to autumn and winter. A short cut out of a hot season is a pure 100% action that will lead to moss and thatch. So what the lawns now have in buckets is the build up of two challenges. Moss. Lots and lots of fluffy moss, that's grown at a super fast rate, but is easy to deal with. Thatch. Lots and lots of stressed and tired grass would have died off, it will be sitting there at the base of the grass, just waiting to STOP water getting to the grass roots and helping the moss get a grip on the proceedings. So, it's time to get the lawns back. Some may see scarification as damaging, it is if we're honest, but it's needed. What's the option? Left moss and thatch leads to weaker and weaker grass growth, it leads to greater thatch development, and greater chance of moss build up. With that said thatch and moss are also great habitats for chafer grubs and over active worms, which could lead to extensive damage. So take haste my friends... take action now. The good news is f you do your scarification alongside a good moss killer and a good nigh nitrogen feed - AND more importantly at the right time of year, you'll have things all back in order before anyone really notices. Here's today's podcast Phil Founder of All Gardening ------------------------------ The Growing All Gardening podcast with Phil Argent. Get more from your garden: | |||
| 174: I've been working on an old Hayter 48 pro | 21 Feb 2023 | 00:11:29 | |
The small things matter I've been working on an old Hayter 48 pro. It's a lovely machine. Must be 20 years old at a guess. But it had a wobbly handle. And you know when you try and move it around the lawn, the mower doesn't quite go where you'd want it to go. So you have to make adjustments. Thousands of minor adjustments. There is one bolt. Just one. Yes just one that matters. It's the bolt that connects the handle to the mower deck. When it's tight you feel in control over the machine. You know what direction it's going. The mower has focus. Precision. This is mowing, this is what it gives you. Focus. Precision. And that my friends is the starting point of a beautiful lawn. Here's today's podcast Phil Founder of All Gardening ------------------------------ The Growing All Gardening podcast with Phil Argent. Get more from your garden: | |||
| 173: When do you start cutting your lawn, 15th March... | 20 Feb 2023 | 00:06:40 | |
So when do you cut the lawn? You can cut it when you think it needs it. You can cut it just as it needs it. You can get us to cut it. BUT From what we know from 19 years of experience, you'll need your lawn cutting around the 15th March. This is the (average) date when the UK lawn owners will start cutting there lawns. The 15th March is a Wednesday. I wonder if its going to be warm and sunny? That would be nice. Here's today's podcast Phil ------------------------------ The Growing All Gardening podcast with Phil Argent. Get more from your garden: https://www.allgardening.co.uk/blogs/blogcast https://www.allgardening.co.uk/products/growabili-tee Founder of All Gardening | |||
| 172: Heading up Ingleborough | 18 Feb 2023 | 00:08:42 | |
Days off. Weekends. Yesterday I met up with a new client, we connected on one subject, "where we live". I said I lived outside, my outside is a huge place. He said he lives indoors, he loves his place. Day to day I work on lawn and in gardens. But I see that each and every garden is connected. One big space. Today I'm off to walk, with Angus my son and Oban our dog. Ingleborough is 723m high, not too high. We're going to take a few things:
Let's see how we get on, I'll come back and tell you. Here's today's podcast. Phil Founder of All Gardening ------------------------------ The Growing All Gardening podcast with Phil Argent. Get more from your garden: | |||
| 171: My asparagus pee.... got me thinking | 17 Feb 2023 | 00:14:23 | |
I love asparagus, it's the start of fresh growth. But, and here's a thought, it's the only food that I know (except for a hot curry) that comes back at ya on it's way out so to speak. The asparagusic acid in asparagus produces many sulfurous byproducts that give your pee a rotten-like smell. The smell can be detected as early as 15 minutes after eating asparagus (OMG) and may last up to 14 hours (Hmmm..) But I love it, asparagus that is! It's fresh. It's pure. It's clean. I love it best because I know the asparagus I cook and eat is produced local. Very local. Which got me thinking..... I was watching Clarksons Farm series 2, whilst I have no real understanding why Jeremy says some of the things he does, he shouldn't, but whilst watching the series I saw something that is truly special, kinda slightly hidden in all the buffonary. The Diddly Squat Farm BIG VIEW CAFE has all its food produce coming from local surrounds. Very local. If anything Jeremy is driven to optimise this strategy. It's very good. It's sustainable. It's going to help local farmers. It's going to help the local community. Just think about that for a minute, a whole sustainable business, producing food from local farms, making food that it can with what it has. Locally. This might seem like a trival idea, and a "hearts and minds" strategy. But it's something we should all look more closely at, the power of local. Which got me thinking... Just what will it take and where will it be, and how far do I have to go to embrace local. Sometimes simple is best. Sometimes local is most powerful. Here's today's podcast. Phil Founder of All Gardening ------------------------------ The Growing All Gardening podcast with Phil Argent. Get more from your garden: | |||
| 170: Bobs fruit press | 16 Feb 2023 | 00:08:36 | |
Funny how things go sometimes. My son wanted to go to a trampoline park, (Jump Inc) with his mates. To get there he'd need "dad's taxi", you know the one that takes and waits, but the wait time has no charge. We had to collect Oli his best mate, his dad is called Bob. Bob's a nice guy, and he has a load of apple trees. Each year Bob makes cider from his apple trees. When I drove into the drive at Bob's place, I noticed that there was a fruit press at the gate, which normally indicates it ready for scrap collection. I asked Bob if the fruit press worked, and he said it does, "but it's too small for my needs now". Bob's is up leveling his cider making. So I took the fruit press. I'm going to give it a clean. Then I'm going to use it to make cider. I'm starting my journey of apple juice and cider making. If I wasn't driving "dad's taxi", I wouldn't have met Bob, and if I hadn't met Bob, the fruit press would have gone to scrap. But the fruit press now has a new life ahead of it. Here's today's podcast Phil Founder of All Gardening ------------------------------ The Growing All Gardening podcast with Phil Argent. Get more from your garden: | |||
| 169: What makes grass grow at the emirates stadium | 15 Feb 2023 | 00:13:26 | |
Today I stepped out onto our lawn. Our lawn I gave a quick cut last week, it was looking a bit shabby. But today I could now see some growth, I knew the lawn was growing, but by just how much wasn't clear. The growth across the lawn wasn't consistent. Which got me thinking, what makes a lawn grow. I think in the late winter into early spring what makes the grass grow is the light levels, and the intensity of the light, which I guess comes down to photosynthesis. Some grasses respond well to bright light, the rye grasses. Some of that bright light is also warm, I think that helps. Which got me thinking, what else using lights and a bit of warmth to grow grass especially rye grasses. If you've ever wanted to know just how Premier Football Clubs like Arsenal get their playing surfaces to look so good over winter and early spring it comes down to light and how it's used, plus a bit of under pitch heating to keep roots just warm enough to keep healthy. Which got me thinking, if you want a really nice lawn, hard wearing and looks good most of the year it needs to be dominated with rye grasses. The rye grasses at the Arsenal ground are 2 particular cultivars - Eurodiamond and Columbine. There seem to do a good job. Here's today's podcast Phil Founder of All Gardening ------------------------------ The Growing All Gardening podcast with Phil Argent. Get more from your garden: | |||
| 167: The Mighty Fine Oaks | 13 Feb 2023 | 00:10:42 | |
Old oaks are a gateway to the past There are few things that give us a chance to ponder the past. There are few things that have done so much to be a custodian of the gardens. More importantly old oaks look after the surrounding environment and eco systems. Do you know where your nearest old oak is? Do you want to know? Our good friend Ben Pollard from Mighty Fine Oaks has spent much of the last 10 years tracking down these old oak trees, learning about their stories and most importantly harvesting the acorns from each tree and growing them on. To date Ben has grown over 2000 oak saplings, some now 7 years old and over 4m high. He encourages you to plant your own oak. Ben says "Oak trees are a symbol of many of the good things in life: generosity, stability, resilience, connection, strength, persistence, joy." When you come to plant an oak, remember these words were written for you ... "These trees which he plants, and under whose shade he shall never sit, he loves them for themselves, and for the sake of his children and his children's children, who are to sit beneath the shadow of their spreading boughs." Hyacinthe Loyson, 1866 (translated from the French) Here's a link to Mighty Fine Oaks, you can watch a video about Mighty Fine Oaks and Ben's mission. Here's today's podcast Phil Founder of All Gardening ------------------------------ The Growing All Gardening podcast with Phil Argent. Get more from your garden: | |||
| 166: Ask for a 4 day week, it's coming in 2023 | 10 Feb 2023 | 00:09:29 | |
Work. more info In the UK where I live and run All Gardening, hours worked on average 1837 hours. At All Gardening we do 4 days per week, that's it.. Here's why the 4 day week is coming in 2023. Here's today's podcast Phil Founder of All Gardening ------------------------------ The Growing All Gardening podcast with Phil Argent. Get more from your garden: | |||
| 165: Journey | 09 Feb 2023 | 00:08:54 | |
If we think too much about what we want to do we might not actually do it. I think my first garden remained a mess for 3-4 years, I thought it was a bit cottage like, messy, natural. I was ok with that. For a while. Here's today's podcast Phil Founder of All Gardening ------------------------------ The Growing All Gardening podcast with Phil Argent. Get more from your garden: | |||
| 264: November 2023 - Thinking Time | 08 Nov 2023 | 00:27:28 | |
264: Thinking Time: How one entrepreneur builds ideas into action.
I've been thinking, that's how things start...
But how do entrepreneurs build ideas into actions, this is something I've been studying as I go along Growing All Gardening.
In my case, which is how I'm going to explore this, I'm going to share some insights into the dynamics and fragility of it all. I've always found ideas are delicate, but most recently I've also come to learn I have to have supreme confidence, but for that to work to my advantage it has to be balanced by a few other factors that move around in terms of their priority.
Here's the full list of the 6 things that are part of my ADHD/dyslexic mind that I use to open an idea, explore it, and then make it become something of action.
THE THINKING 6.
The order of the list changes every day.... not many have the ability to do that, but an ADHD mind does.
Today's THINKING 6 list and order:
Confidence
Focus
Value
Uncertainty
Doubt
Anxiety
It's been a progressive day for Lawn Plan and Growing All Gardening.
Learn more: https://www.allgardening.co.uk/pages/lawn-plan-complete
Join me Phil Argent as I open up my mind and share some thoughts and insights into Growing All Gardening and anything else that comes to mind.
For all the Growing All Gardening episodes head to https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/allgardening
To learn about Lawn Plan and All Gardening
https://www.allgardening.co.uk/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/AllGardeningPinner/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/allgardeningls
| |||
| 164: Think | 08 Feb 2023 | 00:07:40 | |
Think. It seems such a simple thing to ask you to do. But think, think hard. Today I've been thinking hard. Today I've been thinking how do I connect with you. Today I've been thinking how do you connect with us. You see I think you need to understand us, and we want to know you. Customer relationship matters to us, (to me), the closer we get the better we are. So to help move things along with our relationship I've put some new sections on the website. I hope these new pages will make you think about us a bit more. I hope you'll learn from us a bit. I hope it will help you understand what we want from you. And in return what you can expect from us. Here's today's podcast Phil Founder of All Gardening ------------------------------ The Growing All Gardening podcast with Phil Argent. Short personal stories, moments, ideas discussed. Just you and me. No ads, no guests. Get more from your garden: | |||
| 163: Our lawn care predictions for 2023 | 07 Feb 2023 | 00:16:25 | |
Year on year no lawn is the same. They all have a story. And like a good story a lawn has layers, characters, consequences. So we're at the start of 2023. So we don't know what's ahead. But we can tell ourselves a story of what might be, and what might come. For many of us, we'll start thinking about the lawn too late. But for some, the adventurous ones, we'll be doing things now. And if you are doing things now you'll be ahead. And being ahead in lawn care is good. Very good. It's like being first at the bar with a cold beer after a long day out in the sun. It also takes focus. Some of us will focus. Some of us won't. For those of us that do stay ahead, and are focused, delights are ahead. If only everyone knew this.... everyone. Hmmmm.... Here's today's podcast Phil Founder of All Gardening ------------------------------ The Growing All Gardening podcast with Phil Argent. Short personal stories, moments, ideas discussed. Just you and me. No ads, no guests. Get more from your garden: | |||
| 162: How to get a stripy lawn this spring | 06 Feb 2023 | 00:16:26 | |
A green and stripy lawn is one of the most beautiful aspects of a well maintained lawn. You'd think if you cut it regularly you'll end up with just the job, but it takes more than just regular cutting. I'll run down some of the key things to consider to get a stripy lawn this spring. 1 - Feed regularly Tip: Sometimes less is more The best way to think about how and when to feed your lawn is think about how healthy you'd like the grass to be, then think about how often you might cut it, say once a week and think about it now in the context of if you wanted to perform better what would you do - eat better. So think of feeding a question of performance, the more performance you want, the more you'll need to feed the lawn. 2 - Moss control Tip: Scarify the moss out, only when the lawn feed has kicked in. A bit of moss is ok, it's quite normal. But don't let your lawn get carry away making moss for your hanging baskets!! (That's whats used in some btw). It's best to treat you lawn at the start of spring with a moss and feed fertiliser, this will inhibit it's ambition. Once you've done a little moss control its a good idea to lightly scarify the lawn to lift the moss out, but don't go to hard. 3 - Cut when it dry and sunny Tip: Dry and sunny days more mowing quite a nice job in winter. Every 4-6 weeks, a light cut throughout winter. Then weekly once it starts to grow in spring. Remember a little and often is better than once every 2 weeks. You might find it's best to cut the lawn every time it flushes (growsa bit). 4 - Clearing debris Tip: Use your mower to collect small debris Oak leaf, that the big one to take care of, it's the last leaf to fall at the end of autumn and is often not cleared, but if you leave it on the grass you'll be surprised just how fast it will kill off the grass below it, so clear all leaf fall a couple of times over winter. Also with the winter weather you'll have sticks and bits and bobs all over the lawn, if there big pick them up and if there small, grab them all when you do the lawn mowing. 5 - Lawn Mower - type of mower Tip: Buy something better than you think you need, you'll always get your money back over time. To get a really nice defined strip, you'll need a cylinder lawn mower, we use Hayter 48 Pro's. 6 - Lawn mower - sharp mower blade Tip: This is the easiest think to do, but few do. A sharp blade, all year round gets you a perfect cut. You can easily buy the perfect mower, but that mower is only as good as the condition of its blade. We sharpen ours once a month. 7 - Aeration Tip: Do this task after 3-5 days of dry weather. If your grass struggles to hold its condition as the summer rolls in, you'd do well to get the lawn a little aeration in late winter into early spring. Pick a nice dry day, a day that perhaps follows on from 3-5 dry days, you'll find you'll get excellent results. 8 - Scarification Tip: Do less in spring. I like to think your can do different grades of scarification, you can go hard and do triple pass to get all the thatch out and prep the area for new seed or you can just gently scarify a lawn to get the grass breath. I prefect to do a little pass in spring, then feed the lawn and see how it goes and then scarify again in late summer. 9 - Over seeding Tip: Make sure to always cover your seed with a thin layer of compost. Most lawns benefit from over seeding, especially after scarification. Do you need to do all of the above to have a nice lawn this spring? Yes is the simple answer Here's today's podcast Phil Founder of All Gardening www.allgardening.co.uk | |||
| 161: Hayter 48 Pro - 12 month user review | 03 Feb 2023 | 00:10:40 | |
The mowers we use matters. Over the years there has only really been one machine we use. A Hayter 48 Pro. It the foundation machine of our Lawn Plan Complete service, I'd go so far as saying it's the main reason we developed the service, "the machine was too good to just {cut} grass" But over the years, as Hayter has changed ownership, the product has changed. The machine hasn't always been very good. Perhaps over the last 18 years there has been 3-4 models of the same machine we have purchased. I'd go so far as saying we have bought 15 to date. But most of the 15 have had significant issues that have cost a lot to fix. Mostly the rear roller assembly and gear box, and drive system. BUT. With the machine that I bought last year I can say its the best model so far. The new rear roller and gear system are ace, robust to the last detail. The carrying handle is back on, it could be better placed a little more mid machine than back of machine to make the lift less dead weight, and more balanced between back and from axle. The washing system, good bar not quite up to the job. To keep things in order it's best to pressure wash often and use the wash system in summer days. The wheels are great, robust and strong. BUT. The biggest change that will save many many hours and much wear and tear is the new bumper bar, and the little end of bar plugs. Here's today's podcast and below a video review too. Phil Founder of All Gardening | |||
| 160: Lawn maintenance or lawn care | 02 Feb 2023 | 00:06:45 | |
I guess it's the easiest of questions. But do you need lawn maintenance or lawn care, there is a difference. Lawn maintenance implies that the lawn is as good as it needs to be and it is just a question of ticking things along. But do keep in mind the condition of a lawn never stays the same year on year, season on season. Lawn care however dips into our motivators, the human desire to do things better, you can care for your lawn, make it better. We know the difference. But we also appreciate that some lawns needs care and some lawns need maintenance. But we also know there are some lawns that need care and maintenance, these are the ones we like to work on most. These lawns drive our desire to do one thing well, but motivate us to make lawn better year on year, season on season. Do one thing well. Our service Lawn Plan Complete, was developed alongside our lawn care and lawn maintenance customers many year ago. It's a hybrid service, it's lawn maintenance and lawn care. Meaning lawn cutting and lawn treatments. Like a good green keeper coming to you place. We've got it nail now. And we're looking for 85 new customers onto our Lawn Plan Complete service this year. 85. That's all. Here's today's podcast Phil Founder of All Gardening | |||
| 159: Looking at google trends to spot the start of the lawn maintenance season | 01 Feb 2023 | 00:09:21 | |
Well this is going to be my biggest experiment yet. I'm going to break my comfort zone. I'm going to put a new block in place (i'll tell you about that soon). Let me explain. Most years I wait for the season to become obvious, the grass is growing, it's time to get started. But this year for a bit of fun (not sure that's the right word), but i'm going to take a look at when Google Trends thinks the season starts. I'm going to search for the term "lawn" and "lawn treatments" and see when people start searching for those services. Now I think what will make it interesting is Google Trends gives you a 5 year view. That's a whole 5 years of data and trends on what people do. Here's today's podcast Phil Founder of All Gardening | |||
| 158: 3 winter lawn care tips | 31 Jan 2023 | 00:09:13 | |
What colour of green is your lawn in winter? I ask this because for a lawn there is no one colour green in winter. It can be lighter green, darker green, yellower green, mossy green, muddy green.... you get the idea. The variation in colour tells you something about your lawn. The variation of colour tells you what your lawn needs. The variation of colour tells you that there is no time like the present to do something to get beautiful green come spring. So what can you do, and when do you do it. The variation of green will be to do largely with the soil conditions, the level of sun light, and the type of grass you have, and on that point the type of grass I'm thinking how old the grass is. So here are my 3 tips, they can apply to most lawns.
Oh, I should say, always sharpen you lawn mower blade, do it when ever you get a chance. Cutting a lawn is far better than bashing the grass with a blunt blade. My thinking is, the more you prepare your lawn for spring, the better it will be when it comes. It will be the best green it can be. Here's today's podcast Phil Founder of All Gardening | |||
| 157: A few things to do in the garden before spring arrives | 30 Jan 2023 | 00:10:35 | |
On the odd day we will see sun and dry weather! These days may come along when you least expecting them. After all, we don't check the weather forecast everyday do we! But when these days come along it's a really good opportunity to do some key tasks around the garden.
There is more that could be done, but for today those 5 things should keep you busy. Here's today's podcast Phil Founder of All Gardening ------------------------------ The Growing All Gardening podcast with Phil Argent. Get more from your garden: | |||
| 155: Notes from the Shed No.1 | 27 Jan 2023 | 00:11:02 | |
So it's time to move on. I'm nervous to be honest. I've designed an email campaign to firmly root my thinking on the progress of All Gardening - the long term. In the email I'll be sharing less. But pointing to more. I'll share a habit. I'll share some ideas. I'll share less. I'll share a long term plan. I'll share a start point. The email, one that I'll write every week to go out on a Friday about 5PM. It's going to be called Notes from the Shed. This Friday is No.1 How long will it go on. Why didn't I start this earlier. What will it lead to. I'm nervous. This feels like an experiment. Here's today's podcast Phil Founder of All Gardening ------------------------------ The Growing All Gardening podcast with Phil Argent. Get more from your garden: | |||
| 152: This is an experiment | 26 Jan 2023 | 00:15:24 | |
When we look at the world, and take a short term view, we want things now, and we don't often think about how long those thing will be around for. I guess we look for fast, not slow. I have a few things I've had for ever, I call them my nice things. A nice pair of shoes, a nice watch, a nice knife, a few very nice t shirts, a nice coat, my nice bike (1982 BMX GT pro), a poem from a teacher in from 1982, a gold sovereign from my nan, you get the idea. Lee a good friend of mine once said to me "look after your nice things, and your nice things will look after you". Lee, never says how long you'll need to look after them for. He just says "look after them". And over the years I have, a few nice things. Nice things become nice things with age and the experiences I have with them. So with that in mind I've decided to create an experiment. I thought it was time that I settled on an All Gardening t shirt to wear for work and being out and about, and I can tell you over the years I've tried so many variations. But with this t shirt I thought what if it was one of my nice things, a thing that never ever went away, a lifetime t shirt. Crazy as it may seem, no t shirt can last a life time, can it? My job was to create a t shirt that lasted, but also give you a lifetime offer. The offer, when its worn out, if it gets damaged, fails in someway, send it back to us and we'll do something useful, recycle it, into a new t shirt, and send you a new one. Feels a bit risky, does this mean you'll but a one t shirt only, ever, and we'll give you hundreds for free. This got me thinking. So, to make things a bit more progressive and help you look after them a bit, I've decided to do the t shirts in limited batches, just 4 batches a year, (I hope given time I might be able to do pre orders and then only get made what is guaranteed a very nice home), every batch a new design, each t shirt has the same lifetime guarantee. I guess what I'm hoping for is people collect the various designs of t shirts, own maybe more that one, and look after each and everyone like a "very nice thing", they will last longer, much longer (Lee would be proud of you). If you want to learn more and be part of some of our future experiments, it's best to sign up to our newsletter. Our subscribers get first and sometimes the only access to our newest ideas. Here's today's podcast Phil Founder of All Gardening | |||
| 263: It's more that just a logo, it's a whole life's work. | 03 Nov 2023 | 00:21:17 | |
Today I changed back the logo on the All Gardening website, a simple enough task, but a vital one. You see I've started to settle on a real purpose for All Gardening, and it was a long way to go, but it's come from a heart felt place. The All Gardening logo tells a story, an ALL story, it tells a story of doing everything, then one day doing just one thing. Today and into the future I plan to grow the finest lawns in and around London and Yorkshire. Deciding on that has been a journey I'll try and share in this podcast. Join me Phil Argent as I open up my mind and share some thoughts and insights into Growing All Gardening and anything else that comes to mind. For all the Growing All Gardening episodes head to https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/allgardening To learn about Lawn Plan and All Gardening https://www.allgardening.co.uk/ https://www.facebook.com/AllGardeningPinner/ | |||
| 151: How to start bettering your lawn | 25 Jan 2023 | 00:07:29 | |
Let's start at the beginning. Mowing, it's the simplest thing to do. It takes time. But the more you do it the more your lawn will improve. And when we say improve we mean improve a lot. You see when you cut grass it's stimulated to grow more grass, and the more you cut more grass the more it fills out, and as it fills out it will start to look better and feel better. You see it's not hard, it just takes time. You cant rush a lawn cut, it just takes as long as it takes. Enjoy the process. Here's today's podcast Phil Founder of All Gardening | |||
| 150: A few very simple things to do when servicing your lawn mower | 24 Jan 2023 | 00:09:27 | |
It always surprises me when I service the lawn mowers for All Gardening. In the past I've had as many as nine to get through. If I'm honest I really enjoy starting them up, when there fresh. I do three tasks, and I normally do them in a specific order. The order happens. First I remove the old oil, I have a small seaside bucket I use to catch the oil. Second I add the new oil, SP 30, nice stuff, it's clean. I do the fill in two parts, I add 500ml ish, it's measured, then I check the dip stick, and then I top up to the level required. Don't over fill, it can affect the engine performance. Third I remove the spark plug and add in a new one. I always check the old sparks condition, if it's a little blackened I change the air filter. That's it. One, Two, and Three. I start the machine up, give it a few minutes to settle down, and then put the blades in action, just to feel the weight on the engine. More times than not, it's all smooth. Normally, we do this to each machine 2 times per season, at the start around February, and then in July, it keeps things running along. Here's today's podcast. Phil Founder of All Gardening | |||
| 149: Do one thing well | 23 Jan 2023 | 00:18:09 | |
Sounds so simple. Do one thing well. But it's hard. Going deep on one thing takes time. Going deep on one thing means you're always seeking better. Going deep on one thing eventually comes good. Lawns, there simple right? There just a few bits of grass. A few million individual blades of grass. But this means you need to see all the options, and make the best call. A lawn can only ever get better or worst, it can never stay the same. Each year, each day, each growing moment will always be different. The more you seek simple, the more complex simple is. But the art in doing one thing well is in pushing away all the distractions and ONLY focusing on what will make the one thing you want to be good at its best. We do lawn care, that's it. It's narrow. Here's today's podcast Phil Founder of All Gardening www.allgardening.co.uk | |||
| 148: Your year in a load of steps | 12 Jan 2023 | 00:08:02 | |
You'll walk around 8,640 meters cutting your lawn a year. But numbers mean nothing to us garden and lawn keepers. So, let’s break it down in terms of a things we know about steps. The average speed you'll walk is 3 mile per hour. You'll walk for an average of 48 hours per year cutting the lawn. About 2000 steps equal 1 mile. And then, you'll use an estimated 200 muscles during walking. (Step length, may vary) So there is a lot of fitness in that. Let get cutting, it's good for you! Here's today's podcast Phil Founder of All Gardening | |||
| 147: Sliding doors.... where we learn | 11 Jan 2023 | 00:09:49 | |
When you want to grow a garden, where exactly do you start. Well, start just outside, where the door to the garden opens. I tell you this because we always think too big, we always start with the big space, we always start with the worst bit. This is like thinking that everyday is the day AFTER new years day. I mean, your always at the beginning.. Just think, 365 days of 2nd January... Which makes me think, there is a better way to start. Well, I mean think big, look at the big space. But look small, freshen up those plants by the back door, you know the ones you'll walk past everyday, the ones you'll never look at after they have been done. What you'll find special is how you'll feel for that small moment. The thing about growing a garden is, it's daunting. Starting small isn't. Have you yet? Here's today's podcast Founder of All Gardening | |||
| 146: (S)pace in the garden | 10 Jan 2023 | 00:08:00 | |
Small space. Kitchen. Medium space. Conservatory. Large space. Garden. Cooks don't travel far. Parents have spaces. And oh, the gardens we will create. And between the stages are dreams. Here's today's podcast Phil Founder of All Gardening | |||
| 145: The beauty of digging | 09 Jan 2023 | 00:07:47 | |
When I get started all I can tell you is how long it takes doesn't matter. "Little by little, by little" I want the garden to be perfect. But perfect is like the plastic plants - there are many but non matter. It is in digging little by little we grow. And sometimes, it's easier. I was shifting some soils today, they were wet, it never got easier. I love the way soils do that, hang together that is, hold tight, asking for the effort. This is how growing a garden is. Commitment and vision. Passion for the future. But what we know is coming keeps us digging. When you fall in love with the little by little, by little way, you end up visualising what's ahead. Do the digging. Keep doing it. There is no quick way. Here's today's podcast Phil Argent Founder of All Gardening | |||
| 144: Yearbook 2 progress | 05 Jan 2023 | 00:07:00 | |
A time for growth. Thats the title of this years yearbook. That's how far I've got, I know what it should be about. The image on the front cover has come from one of the members of the All Gardening cafe that you'll find on Facebook groups. The group has just under 6000 members, a lot happened last year. When you grow a garden you're never too sure what will come through. That's exciting. The hard work has to begin long before the rewards are there to be seen. What makes a reward exciting is the feeling it gives you. A feel good vibe. A feeling that you've done good. A feeling that it is all worth it. A feeling of progress and success, and don't we need that today and everyday. I think I've got about 50-100 pages to fill with beautiful images from the All Gardening cafe group. Putting the book together feels a bit like getting started on a garden or lawn. You have to start somewhere. You have to start at a good place. You have to start at a point that seems obvious. So I've started with working out what I want the front page to convey. The first page says "here's the reward". Colourful and vibrant. Here's today's podcast Phil Argent Founder of All Gardening | |||
| Stories - We Are Custodians Of The Garden | 03 Jan 2023 | 00:10:07 | |
Your garden is one small part of our earth. We've learnt that billions of people connect with a garden in some way. But we're just custodians. The one day you leave your garden, nature takes over control. Nature simply takes it back to mother earth. No matter what you do, your control is limited. Without gardens we can't breath and we know this. That's why we started All Gardening back in 2004. To bring the value gardens give our planet closer to us. To bring all our skills to your doorstep. And help the earth breath a longer breathe. As one client we worked with once said to me when I was working for her "Our life's have changed so much. We care about our garden space, it brings us joy and makes us feel connected." I just stood there thinking everyone should have that feeling. Let's see, one garden at a time. Here goes. Here's today's podcast | |||
| 141: The eternally hopeful gardener year book 2 | 01 Jan 2023 | 00:07:44 | |
So it's the first of January 2023. Wow. Another year in the garden past. It was a dry year. It was a year where the grass burnt out, for a bit in summer. It was a year that things took shape. If anything it was a year that past all too soon. I didn't know what was going to happen, I hadn't really made a plan. I'm grateful for what came along eventually. I've done it once, put a book together from the All Gardening Cafe. I'm going to do it again, this time I'm going to focus the book around GROWTH. Things we grow. How we grow. What to grow. When to grow. Why we grow. I'll do a small print run, and no reprints. It will be a year book to keep. It will be a year book to treasure. I hope when it's done, and I share it with you, you might delight in it. Here's today's podcast. Phil Argent Founder of All Gardening | |||
| 262: October 2023 - Thinking Time | 01 Nov 2023 | 00:29:00 | |
I can't say it's been easy, but I've started to learn about my ADHD and Dyslexic mind and how it has limited my life.
Let's start there.
I also talk about how I can now harness my mind in order to identify the smallest yet most important changes to my business All Gardening.
Lastly, I'll chat about the future and having a newfound sense of optimism that there is a confident future ahead.
Join me Phil Argent as I open up my mind and share some thoughts and insights into Growing All Gardening and anything else that comes to mind.
For all the Growing All Gardening episodes head to https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/allgardening
To learn about Lawn Plan and All Gardening
https://www.allgardening.co.uk/
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https://www.facebook.com/AllGardeningPinner/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/allgardeningls
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| 140: Grow your all | 31 Dec 2022 | 00:04:57 | |
Grow your all This is a celebration of everything you can grow. For the pleasure in trying and the excitement of what might come. Here's to the big, beautiful mess of gardens and the mindfulness that simply makes you feel good when you try. When we look closely, we can see more, simple seems so beautiful. How do you start, how far do you go, how much will it take. You'll only know when you grow your all. Delight in getting started, because it's a gift. Here's today's podcast. Phil Argent Founder of All Gardening | |||
| 139: Mud, mud, glorious mud. Nothing quite like it for cooling the garden | 30 Dec 2022 | 00:07:34 | |
Mud, mud, glorious mud. Nothing quite like it for cooling the garden But it's fair to say perhaps, we don't really love mud enough. I've made peace with mud over the years, I've learnt there is good mud, there is wet mud, there is hard dry mud and the is compacted mud. Magic mud. Sticky mud. I've found that somedays mud gets deep into my hands. Deep into my fingerprints. Deeply gripped. I've found that somedays mud hangs on my boots, adding and adding, like it wants to travel somewhere with me, but it need not know where it's going. Weighted mud. Carrying mud. I've found that mud tells a story of the garden and lawn, mud shares insights into the past and the future. Mud moves me. We should take more time to look at our mud. We should take more time to feel our mud. We should take more time to play with our mud. Playful, plentiful, perfectly posed to make more. Here's todays podcast. Phil Argent Founder of All Gardening | |||
| 138: It's all about apples, coz apples is apples | 29 Dec 2022 | 00:05:19 | |
It's all about apples, coz apples is apples
Did you notice the apples this year.
Spectacular, spectacular.
I mean did you notice how many trees produced huge lush volumes of apples this year.
A bumper crop.
Are the apples from this year any better or worst than last year?
I have a question, If you had an apple tree in your garden, did you try the apples or did they simply fall, and eventually go into the bin.
Here's the thing, this years apples were delicious.
There is a saying "apples for apples" assuming that judging something against something the same will be a consistent measure (apples in this case).
But here's the other thing, this years apples were better than last years apples.
But if you never tried last years, and then you never tried this years, you wouldn't have known.
There is a lot to be said about trying things that grow in the garden.
There is a lot to be said about remembering to try these things every year.
Because in a garden, your garden, some years are better than other years.
Emmm....
Here's todays podcast.
Phil Argent
Founder of All Gardening
https://www.allgardening.co.uk/pages/podcast
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| 137: Manifesto of a gardener | 28 Dec 2022 | 00:05:55 | |
Manifesto of a gardener 1 - Begin with small. If you seek to change anything momentum will help get you going. Learning how to move a little will inspire you. Find a tool that makes little delightful. Then find the next tool that makes a little a bit more. 2 - Let things take time. Nature does not give you deadlines, so don't set yourself any. Seek progress in the things you're getting done. 3 - Dig like you mean it. Dig with a spade first, but make shallow trial digs, feel the soil you are working with. 4 - Focus on the task. Doing a bit here, and a bit there is just faffing. Faffing can be plentiful. But remember, faffing stops you from doing. 5 - Somethings won't grow. This is guaranteed. All the preparation in all the world will sometimes not be enough. See these failings as gifts. They will make you a better gardener. Rather than drive you to give us, they will drive you to learn more, and be more patient and focused. 6 - Ideas start change. But ideas are just that ideas. Try something you can see evolve. Do the work to bring the idea alive. 7 - If you want to grow something, you have two options. One, you can talk about it. Two you can do it, bit by bit, step by step, by step. 8 - What you grow takes effort. Don't give up. 9 - What needs to be done today. Ask yourself this everyday. It's your job to do the caring and growing each and every day. 10 - The effort you can put in, has a direct relationship to how much you want to see it grow. Your effort is not infinite, use it carefully. 11 - Growing better comes. When you start it's simple, simple to do, simple to see. But it will get better. 12 - Dig, rest, dig, rest. Human’s get more done in bursts followed by rest. Getting things done isn’t about who does the longest hours, but who does the smartest hours. 13 - 80% of your time will be spent on things you won't see grow. 20% of your time is spent on the things you are very good at. In order to get more done, flip that. 14 - Tea multiplies output. It's a simple with, but a cup of tea, to ponder the future brings power to move mountains. 15 - Keep your energy for pushing the garden forward. The past is done. Things out of your control cannot be changed. Energy spent being angry, jealous, or cynical is negative energy. Stay positive. 16 - Have a plan. Then accept it can and will change. Making something happen is about being nimble and adaptable. 17 - Think, more than do. Try to not redo, and try not to move anything twice. Think through your next task ahead of doing. 18 - Growing is rewarding. Growing is a gift, the results you can share, tell stories about, and teach others. 19 - Little actions repeated daily will result in big changes. You'll see over time that small parts added, become something huge. 20 - Agree that some things will not grow. This is a gift. You'll learn more by what doesn't grow than what does. Seek out the failures. 21 - Even though gardening is a sole passion, share it with others. Give back. It will help you. 22 - All gardeners are custodians. Have something big that you want to change. This is bigger than you. Your purpose multiplies. An oak tree planted as a sapling today, is a gift for someone in the next century. 23 - If you are going to make change happen, make it a good one. This planet needs as many friends as it can get. | |||
| 136: Hold my hand, squeeze me tight, feel my warmth. | 27 Dec 2022 | 00:14:09 | |
Hold my hand, squeeze me tight, feel my warmth. These December winter days, they are short, especially from a daylight point of view. Days start. They peak. And the days' end. Seeming like a shooting star. We end where we start, surrounded by our closest. We gardeners have a natural place to settle. We find our "green house", it's warm, an ever optimistic place. We know things still grow, steadily, they just need that bit more care. We guide with delight. I often look up at the sky seeking a diamond star. You see these winter nights often offer those gems, but you need to look. Warmth comes from being together. Growth comes from dreaming together. Hold my hand, squeeze me tight, and make me smile. Here's today's podcast Phil Argent Founder of All Gardening | |||
| 128: How to renovate a lawn | 02 Oct 2022 | 00:09:09 | |
A few tips, keep in mind it’s not alway easy.
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| 127: All Gardening, all your garden needs, in one place | 27 Sep 2022 | 00:08:42 | |
Yup the website now does what we say we do.
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| 126: Get started with our Lawn Plan Complete | 26 Sep 2022 | 00:04:52 | |
Is your lawn in need of a complete regrow?
There will sometimes be occasions where a lawn has deteriorated to the extent where it is not possible to bring it back to life with just a few treatments. There may be specific problems with the grass plant itself which has led to the lawn being in such a poor state. These may include disease, insect damage, substantial weed infestation, considerable levels of thatch in the lawn, or incorrect grasses may have been used on the lawn to begin with. More times than enough though, other home and family priorities have meant the lawn has been neglected, or it has simply run its course due to overuse through time – your much-loved and much-used family lawn and garden has served you and your family well over the years and it is now time for a complete lawn rejuvenation. Many customers also tell us that their circumstances and lifestyles have changed, and with the children grown they would prefer an ornamental lawn, others say they have a growing family and is it possible to make the lawns more hard wearing. Whatever the reasons for your lawn requiring a complete overhaul, our Complete Lawn Plan programme will give you a new lawn at a much more affordable price than laying new turf. What does the programme entail?Our Complete Lawn Plan programme is a bespoke programme specifically tailored to each lawn’s individual requirements, and we will carry out a lawn survey and consultation with you. It's like having your very own green keeper. This is typically an annual program, where all the technical work is done alongside lawn mowing visits. This helps us keep track of progress and make any changes as and when are needed. What might be Included?
The cost of each programme is dependent on the work that is necessary for each particular lawn. It is more cost-effective to completely regrow a lawn than to lay a new lawn from scratch as materials and labour can often be expensive. All Lawn Plan Complete programmes typically include a weekly or bi weekly visit throughout the season. This also enables us to check on the progress of the new lawn and provide tailored follow-up advice on caring for your new lawn to ensure you get the full benefit from the programme. This programme can be carried out at any time of the year apart from winter. To learn more, have your lawn assessed and a free quote contact us. | |||
| 125: Download our FREE annual lawn care calendar | 12 Sep 2022 | 00:03:45 | |
It’s something we did an age ago, but we never told anyone we’d done it. So go to our website now, and get a free downloadable lawn care calendar.
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| 125: Embrace uncertainty | 02 Aug 2022 | 00:08:26 | |
I’m doing a few things I’m really not sure about, but not knowing is all about discovering what works.
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| 261: The Brilliant Mind | 20 Oct 2023 | 00:25:52 | |
It's not easy to unpack what I've learnt. But lets say I am trying to. Today I share what I think I now understand about my mind, dyslexic and adhd. I'd always thought differently about things, I'd try to hide things and suppress things. But that was going to be life-limiting. So it had to change. Cheers Phil | |||
| 124: 31 days, 50 subscribers | 01 Aug 2022 | 00:06:13 | |
There is something very absorbing about setting a challenge. https://www.allgardening.co.uk/blogs/podcast/124-31-days-50-subscribers https://www.allgardening.co.uk/products/all-gardening-lawn-food-subscription | |||
| 123: I’m not dead yet! | 30 Jul 2022 | 00:09:17 | |
It’s my latest marketing campaign title, I’m aiming to stimulate people into action. The words “can you save it” often come up in lawn assessments. I finally got there, the new flyer has been completed and I hope you'll all see it soon. I'm starting by hand distributing them in my local area, just a few streets in Harrogate, hyper local. The message came from the thing people often say to me, "can you save it", we'll Lawn Food sure can save any lawn, my message "It's not dead yet!" I'm looking to start the service with just 50 subscribers, I'm already well on the way. https://www.allgardening.co.uk/blogs/podcast/123-im-not-dead-yet | |||
| 122: Wall the walk | 28 Jul 2022 | 00:14:06 | |
So to get on track with my new Lawn Food service I’m doing door to door leaflets. Episode Home Page: https://www.allgardening.co.uk/blogs/podcast/122-walk-the-walk | |||