Explore every episode of the podcast Loving Your Garden - Better Gardening Podcast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gardening for Life – Making Your Garden Work for You with Lexi Gee | 28 Oct 2026 | 00:23:28 | |
Gardening is something we hope to enjoy throughout our lives. But what happens when age, illness, or disability makes some of those familiar gardening jobs more challenging? In this episode of Loving Your Garden, Rod Whiting and resident gardening expert John Stirland are joined by horticulturist Lexi Gee, who shares her personal experience of living with multiple sclerosis and the practical adaptations that help her continue enjoying her garden. From accessible garden design, raised beds and choosing the right plants to lightweight tools, pacing yourself and knowing when to take a break, there’s plenty of useful advice for gardeners of all ages and abilities. But it’s not just about making gardening easier. Lexi also talks about the enormous physical and emotional benefits of spending time outdoors, the importance of maintaining independence and why adapting your garden should never feel like admitting defeat. An uplifting, entertaining, and practical conversation about making your garden work for you, rather than the other way round. 📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook | |||
| Making The Most of Your Autumn Garden - with John Stirland | 23 Sep 2026 | 00:28:36 | |
Autumn has arrived - and there’s plenty to be getting on with in the garden. Rod Whiting is joined by Loving Your Garden and Boom Radio’s resident horticulturist John Stirland for a practical guide to making the most of this special time of year. They look at how to help lawns recover after a long, hot summer, why now is such a good time for sowing grass seed, which spring bulbs should be planted now, and which are better left until later - plus autumn care for roses, climbers and shrubs. John also shares some of his favourite plants for winter colour, tips for preparing the greenhouse for the colder months, and explains why autumn can be the perfect time to make bigger changes to the garden while the soil is still warm. And, after creating his own pond last autumn, John reveals just how quickly the wildlife moved in - from newts to dragonflies and damselflies. A relaxed, practical half-hour packed with timely advice and ideas to help you enjoy your garden through autumn and prepare it for the seasons ahead. 📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook | |||
| Helping Wildlife Thrive in Your Garden - With Mary Porter | 26 Aug 2026 | 00:24:05 | |
How can gardeners make a real difference for wildlife? Rod Whiting is joined by Boom Radio’s nature expert Mary Porter and resident horticulturist John Stirland to explore simple, practical ways to turn your garden into a haven for birds, bees, butterflies, hedgehogs, and countless other creatures. Following one of the hottest, driest summers in recent years, they discuss how wildlife is adapting, the plants that provide food when it’s needed most, why ponds are such valuable habitats, and how a few small changes can have a surprisingly big impact. Along the way you’ll hear about hummingbird hawk moths, kingfishers, dragonflies, grass snakes and the simple joys of watching nature return to your garden. Whether you have a window box or several acres, this episode is full of ideas to help wildlife thrive through every season.
📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook | |||
| Adapting Your Garden for a Changing Climate - With Alison Marsden | 30 Jul 2026 | 00:26:19 | |
Hotter summers, wetter winters and increasingly unpredictable weather are changing the way we garden. So how should we adapt? Horticulturist Alison Marsden, who divides her time between Britain and a Mediterranean garden in France, joins Rod Whiting and resident expert John Stirland to explore practical ways of making our gardens more resilient. They discuss healthier soils, smarter planting, water management, Mediterranean-inspired ideas that work in Britain, and how to create gardens that are ready for the climate of the future. Practical, optimistic and packed with ideas for gardeners across the UK. 📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook | |||
| The Productive Summer Garden: Growing More Food with Stephanie Hafferty | 24 Jun 2026 | 00:36:08 | |
Food prices may be rising, but growing your own needn’t be difficult. In this episode of the Loving Your Garden podcast, Rod Whiting and horticulturist John Stirland are joined by kitchen gardener and food writer Stephanie Hafferty, author of The Productive Garden. Stephanie shares her advice on getting started with growing your own food, the easiest crops for beginners, why mistakes are part of the learning process, and how to make the most of even the smallest growing spaces. The discussion also covers succession sowing, preserving harvests, peat-free compost, natural approaches to pests and disease, and what to sow now for crops later in the year. Whether you have a large vegetable plot, a few raised beds, or simply some pots on a balcony, this episode is packed with practical ideas to help you grow more food and enjoy greater success in the garden. 📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook | |||
| Dahlias Made Simple: Growing, Feeding, Cutting and Storing with Kim O'Brien | 23 May 2026 | 00:26:47 | |
Dahlias are bold, flamboyant, sometimes slightly outrageous - and one of the great stars of the late summer garden. But they can also feel a little intimidating. When do you plant them? Which varieties are easiest to grow? Do you have to lift the tubers every winter? How do you support them, feed them, protect them from pests, and keep them flowering into autumn? In this episode, Rod Whiting is joined by Dahlia expert Kim O’Brien - Head Gardener at an RHS-funded garden in Cambridgeshire, flower grower, floral designer, BBC local radio gardening expert, regular Gardeners’ World speaker, and columnist for Amateur Gardening magazine. 📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook
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| A Journey through a Garden Designer’s Own Garden – with David Stevens | 23 Apr 2026 | 00:27:47 | |
Take a walk through the personal garden of multi-award-winning designer David Stevens. In this episode of Loving Your Garden, I’m joined by Boom Radio’s gardening expert John Stirland as we explore multi-award-winning designer David Stevens' own 100-foot suburban garden — a space full of ideas, inspiration, and practical lessons for gardeners of all levels. From clever use of space and planting for year-round interest, to working with soil, structure, and light, David shares how he brings together design and plantsmanship to create a garden that feels both natural and constantly evolving. Along the way, we discuss: • Designing a garden as a “journey.” This is a relaxed, insightful walk around a real garden — with plenty of ideas to take home. 📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook | |||
| Before You Plant Anything This Spring... | 11 Mar 2026 | 00:31:45 | |
...Be sure to listen to this relaxed conversation with two fabulous gardeners: my co-host, John Stirland — Boom Radio’s gardening expert — and horticulturist, broadcaster and RHS judge, Martin Fish. It was a real pleasure to reunite this former BBC TV gardening double-act and spend half an hour chatting about Spring gardening in Martin’s Lincolnshire spread, with the birds providing the background soundtrack. We begin with the problem many gardeners are facing after a wet winter — moss in the lawn — before moving on to dividing herbaceous perennials, pruning, planting, irrigation, and finally pests. There’s plenty to take in, so if you’d like to jump to specific topics, take a look at the chapter guide. It's a great way to start Season 6, and our thanks to Martin for his time and use of his splendid young garden. 💬 Got a question for John? Or fancy sending us some fan mail? Drop us a line: rod@lovingyourgarden.org 📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook Check out Martin's FB Site for regular features and videos:👇 https://www.facebook.com/PTrowels/?locale=en_GB | |||
| What Experienced Gardeners Wish They'd Known Sooner With David Stevens | 25 Dec 2025 | 00:29:32 | |
In this special seasonal edition of the Loving Your Garden podcast, John Stirland and I sit down to reflect on the gardening year just gone – and look ahead to what comes next. Link to the Video with illustrated plants and garden design here: https://youtu.be/ru_LEJgaRhY
💬 Got a question for John? Or fancy sending us some fan mail? Drop us a line: rod@lovingyourgarden.org 📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook | |||
| Growing Wildflowers The Easy Way - With Dr Ana Attlee | 09 Nov 2025 | 00:22:42 | |
Struggling to get wildflowers growing in your garden? You’re not alone! 🌿 In this podcast, horticulturist and broadcaster John Stirland joins Loving Your Garden Founder Rod Whiting, along with Ana, to share a simple, proven method for growing wildflowers - perfect for beginners or anyone looking to attract more bees, butterflies, and birds to their garden. 💬 Got a question for John? Or fancy sending us some fan mail? Drop us a line: rod@lovingyourgarden.org 📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook | |||
| Summer's Done - Autumn's Here Early! | 22 Aug 2025 | 00:22:38 | |
It's been an interesting Summer! It started with drought, then the rains came, and as the nights begin to draw in, it's turned unseasonably cool. Signs of Autumn are already showing, certainly in my East Midlands garden (UK). After a relatively quiet spell, the transition to Autumn is a busy time for gardeners and our resident horticulturist, John Stirland, suggests some jobs to consider, such as creating a compost pile and scarifying the lawn. Twenty minutes in John's company is always an education and never a minute wasted, so enjoy! 💬 Got a question for John? Or fancy sending us some fan mail? Drop us a line: rod@lovingyourgarden.org 📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook | |||
| Hot Tips for Cool Gardens - With Multi-Award Winning Designer David Stevens | 22 Jun 2025 | 00:33:20 | |
As the sun turns up the heat, so do the challenges in our gardens. In this summer edition of the Loving Your Garden podcast, I’m joined by our resident horticulturist John Stirland and award-winning garden designer David Stevens for a lively and practical chat about gardening through the warmer months. We explore clever ways to keep your plants happy during hot, dry spells, how to water wisely, and what to plant right now for colour and resilience. Whether you’re battling parched borders or planning a summer refresh, this episode is packed with tips to help your garden thrive through the heat, with design tips from an eleven-time RHS Chelsea gold medallist. Check out the chapters if you’re short of time – but we reckon you’ll want to hear the whole thing. Watch the video version: https://youtu.be/OyWh8uJ-qn0 💬 Got a question for John? Or fancy sending us some fan mail? Drop us a line: rod@lovingyourgarden.org 📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook 📬 Sign up for our free gardening newsletter: LYG Newsletter | |||
| Lush Lawns & Palm Trees - In Cheshire! With Steve Fives | 18 May 2025 | 00:31:20 | |
This might just be our best episode yet from LYG HQ! Steve Fives is officially Loving Your Garden’s most engaging member – with more views, comments, and conversations than anyone else in the group… including me, and I run the place! Steve’s garden is something you have to see to believe, so if you’d rather watch this episode, head over to our YouTube channel: Watch on YouTube But don’t go just yet – Steve’s also a brilliant speaker, and this conversation on creating lawn envy is well worth a listen. He explains how he took over a tired, uninspiring garden and transformed it with lush lawns and a selection of palm trees, more at home in the Caribbean than Cheshire. Alongside our resident horticulturist, John Stirland, Steve shares lots of practical tips for anyone wanting to give their garden that wow factor. Check out the chapters if you’re short of time – but we reckon you’ll want to hear the whole thing. 💬 Got a question for John? Or fancy sending us some fan mail? Drop us a line: rod@lovingyourgarden.org 📘 Join our thriving Facebook group: LYG on Facebook 📬 Sign up for our free gardening newsletter: LYG Newsletter | |||
| Spring Into Action: Gardening Tips with John Stirland & Martin Fish (Pt 2) | 20 Apr 2025 | 00:32:08 | |
With UK gardens bursting into colour, this is a beautiful time of year — but it’s also a busy time, preparing the garden for the seasons ahead. In the second half of our conversation with Gardener and Broadcaster Martin Fish and our own John Stirland, we cover:
Thanks to Martin Fish for his time. Martin has an excellent Facebook site and YouTube Channel called Pots & Trowels - links here: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=pots%20%26%20trowels https://www.youtube.com/@PotsTrowels Now that we have fan mail, please text in some feedback. Also, take advantage of John's fifty-plus years of experience in professional horticulture and send in any gardening questions you may have. | |||
| Spring Into Action: Gardening Tips with John Stirland & Martin Fish (Pt 1) | 09 Apr 2025 | 00:26:22 | |
The new gardening year is well underway, and our Loving Your Garden Facebook group is bursting with colourful spring blooms and a real sense of excitement as our gardens awaken from their winter slumber. So, what better time to get stuck into those all-important early-season jobs? To help us on our way, we’ve called on two seasoned pros — our resident horticulturist John Stirland and his long-time friend, RHS judge and fellow horticulturist Martin Fish, who many will remember as John’s TV co-host. In this two-part special, John and Martin share expert advice to set you up for a successful season. Part One dives into:
Part Two will follow next week — don’t miss it! Thanks to Martin Fish for his time. Martin has an excellent Facebook site and YouTube Channel called Pots & Trowels - links here: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=pots%20%26%20trowels https://www.youtube.com/@PotsTrowels Now that we have fan mail, please text in some feedback. Also, take advantage of John's fifty-plus years of experience in professional horticulture and send in any gardening questions you may have. | |||
| Growing Cut Flowers With Roz Chandler | 18 Jan 2025 | 00:26:21 | |
If you've resolved to growing more cut flowers in '25 then you'll find Roz Chandler from Field Gate Flowers an interesting guest. Roz talks about starting her cut flower farm 15 years ago almost by mistake and now runs a successful business growing, displaying and teaching floral horticulture. She has some useful tips for starting a cut flower garden and we also get around to discussing peat-free compost including the two brands Roz swears by and how climate change will have a major impact on how we garden (see Chapters for specifics). | |||
| Better Gardening tips in 2025...With Two Badly Disguised Santas | 01 Jan 2025 | 00:21:43 | |
It's become a thing for multi-award-winning garden designer David Stevens to drop in over Christmas with our resident horticulturist John Stirland over a glass of sherry for a gardening chinwag. The result is always educational as these two stalwarts trade wisdom and a few laughs. The wisdom includes suggestions for Winter interest in an all-year-round garden, some garden design tips, a discussion about gifts for the gardener who has everything, and the one garden tool that neither of our experts could do without. | |||
| Eight Steps To Your Dream Garden With David Stevens | 27 Aug 2024 | 00:14:19 | |
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| Is Bamboo REALLY The Plant From Hell? | 11 Aug 2024 | 00:27:16 | |
Recent press reports would have you believe Bamboo is the devil incarnate but does it deserve its bad reputation? While it's certainly true some varieties can be highly destructive, are gardeners right to shun it at all costs? | |||
| John Stirland On Why Those New Plants May Not Be Thriving, Plus What The National Garden Scheme Can Do For You | 02 Jul 2024 | 00:31:54 | |
Firstly, apologies for our silence over the past few weeks, we've been busy creating a brand new YouTube channel and subscription newsletter (links below) as well as overhauling our Facebook group to accommodate the massive new growth of 'Loving Your Garden' - now 378 thousand members. | |||
| The Secrets And Pleasures of Herbaceous Perennials With Rosy Hardy | 17 Apr 2024 | 00:39:43 | |
It's always a pleasure and a privilege to be in the company of one of the UK's foremost plantswomen, Rosy Hardy. With countless RHS gold medals to her name, Rosy has become a leading authority on Herbaceous Perennials and this is pure gold for any gardener that is looking for a new dimension to their garden. If you're in a rush, go to our chapter page and choose your topic of interest but to be honest, you'd be better staying for the whole conversation to catch every last morsel of knowledge! They have a limited offer you can use now, that gets you up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one-time purchases with code LOVEGARDEN20 at checkout You can claim it at: https://www.magicmind.com/lovegarden
https://bit.ly/3oIzVr9 You'll find a friendly community of gardeners from many backgrounds, all sharing a love of plants and gardening. Please get in touch with any feedback or questions for John to: rod@ultravoxtraining.com | |||
| No Wildlife, No Garden With Mary Porter | 10 Apr 2024 | 00:48:25 | |
It’s always a pleasure to welcome our favourite Nature Watcher Mary Porter onto LYG. Spring in the UK is a great time for an update from Mary whose knowledge and experience of the natural world is much appreciated by all of us at LYG and to listeners of her regular spot on my Boom Radio show. This is a lovely chat about the current state of our wildlife and how we can encourage more creatures into our gardens, both for the good of the environment and our mental-wellbeing. In association with Magic Mind - Mental Performance Shots They have a limited offer you can use now, that gets you up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one-time purchases with code LOVEGARDEN20 at checkout You can claim it at: https://www.magicmind.com/lovegarden
https://bit.ly/3oIzVr9 You'll find a friendly community of gardeners from many backgrounds, all sharing a love of plants and gardening. Please get in touch with any feedback or questions for John to: rod@ultravoxtraining.com | |||
| Ugly Lawns No More With This Prep Plus Removing Troublesome Tree Stumps | 27 Mar 2024 | 00:48:04 | |
In association with Magic Mind - Mental Performance Shots
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| Growing From Seed With Tom Sharples | 11 Mar 2024 | 00:32:31 | |
There is nothing so satisfying than adding food to your dinner plate that you've grown from seed. While many gardeners are well-equipped to sow and propagate both vegetables and ornamentals, most others prefer the convenience of potted and plug plants. However, with the costs of plants and food now a significant factor, growing from seed is an attractive option. | |||
| Late Winter Pruning With John Stirland | 20 Feb 2024 | 00:30:57 | |
Deep Joy! Winter's last hurrah is nearly upon us, at least if you're in Northern Europe, and it's time to finish off the Winter pruning. Our resident horticulturist John Stirland covers the basics and answers member questions on specific plants including Philadelphus, Fig, Ceonothus, Honeysuckle, and roses. As ever, John covers a lot of ground with lots of snippets of really useful information so it's worth listening through the whole half hour. | |||
| It's Seed Sowing Time! | 05 Feb 2024 | 00:44:19 | |
Our resident horticulturist John Stirland kicks off season 4 of Loving Your Garden - Better Gardening Podcast with a masterclass in seed sowing. John is in full flow here with oodles of great advice on growing plants from seed as a new gardening year gets underway. John also takes questions from our LYG site members. It's best to sit back and enjoy the full episode but if you're tight for time, our chapter guide may be helpful. | |||
| Three Top Gardeners Drop In For A Festive Chat | 29 Dec 2023 | 00:42:39 | |
You'll need to check out the Loving Your Garden site to see our festive guests in their Santa gear but you can hear the fun in our season finale as horticulturist, gardening writer, broadcaster and RHS judge, Martin Fish, and multi-award-winning garden designer, David Stevens join John Stirland and LYG founder Rod Whiting for an end of season chat over a tipple or two. | |||
| Growing Happy Healthy Houseplants with Jane Perrone | 13 Nov 2023 | 00:38:25 | |
We borrowed our guest's phrase 'happy, healthy house plants' this week as it aptly describes a nirvana that many of us struggle with. Jane Perrone is a gardening writer and podcaster whose articles many will have read in the Guardian, Financial Times, and The RHS Garden Magazine among many publications. Jane's passion for houseplants shines through in our chat this week, dealing with the essentials of light, watering, and feeding as you might expect. But, also with sound advice on checking the soil or substrate of the plants we buy, rather than assuming they come fully equipped to survive our domestic environments. Another highlight is Jane's warning about 'death plugs' which for less experienced indoor gardeners is a revelation. | |||
| John Stirland's Autumn Almanac (With Apologies To The Kinks!) | 25 Oct 2023 | 00:35:59 | |
It's been a while since we checked in with our resident horticulturist John Stirland who's forgotten more than I'll ever know about gardening so it's nice to talk about getting ready for some Winter colour, Autumn feeding, and pruning as well as lots of other topical chat, and answers to member questions that you'll doubtless find useful. | |||
| Making Sense of Peat Free | 11 Oct 2023 | 00:38:26 | |
There's been a noticeable increase in discussions on the LYG Facebook site about the forthcoming ban on the use of peat products in UK gardens, due to be enforced from the end of next year. To help us make sense of it all, our guests this week are Jonathan Whittemore from Johnsons of Whixley, a Yorkshire-based plant wholesaler, and Ruth Goudy, garden writer and owner of Kiln Farm Nursery and Garden Centre in Suffolk. Jonathan also chairs the Ornamental Management Committee of the Horticultural Trade Association and has played an active part in the RHS peat-free trials. Ruth is a long-time supporter of reducing peat and wants to help her customers and wider audiences to appreciate, not just the why, but the how to use peat-free compost. | |||
| Autumn Splendour With Rosie Hardy | 16 Sep 2023 | 00:49:48 | |
It is a delight to have Rosy back to chat about what can, with the right planting, be a spectacular time of year in the garden. Rosie and her husband Rob supply a vast number of herbaceous perennials from their nurseries at Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants in Hampshire, UK https://www.hardysplants.co.uk/. We talk about the best herbaceous perennials for Autumn interest, how and when to divide the plants, and also the importance of getting your Spring flowering perennials sorted now. There's barrow-loads of great advice in this episode so find a quiet space and enjoy. Rosy also mentions her Youtube page which is full of fantastic advice and information and you can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/results... | |||
| Late Summer Revival With John Stirland | 26 Aug 2023 | 00:23:43 | |
Our Gardening maestro John Stirland is in great form as we consider plants that will add a little lustre to a flagging garden at this time of year. Flowers, shrubs, and trees all feature in our suggestions for adding some late seasonal interest, so it's worth having a pen and paper to hand as we go. Just a heads-up that we'll get another perspective on Autumn colour with an old friend of LYG, Rosy Hardy from Hardy's Cottage Garden Plants, in mid-September, so do subscribe to be sure not to miss her outstanding advice. | |||
| A Summer Catch-up With Three Gardening Stars Plus The Latest On The UK Peat Ban and A Look At Composite Decking | 19 Jul 2023 | 00:19:30 | |
It's not every day you get to chat with one of the UK's top plantswomen, a renowned garden designer and the Gandalf of gardening but that was my pleasure when Rosy Hardy, David Stevens and John Stirland all gathered by Rosy's plant stand at the Belvoir Castle Flower and Garden Show. It was a delightful conversation about Summer gardens that I'm sure you'll find informative and entertaining. | |||
| A Good Year For The Roses! | 26 Jun 2023 | 00:28:38 | |
Everybody says it's been a great year for so many plants but especially roses so it's a good time to dwell on the ubiquitous rose: conditions, care, suggested varieties, and member questions answered by LYG's resident horticulturist John Stirland. | |||
| Here Comes Summer! | 28 May 2023 | 00:31:31 | |
By now, the heavy work is likely done and we can start finessing, ready to relax and enjoy our gardens. If only! Of course, there's always something to be getting on with and, this week, we look at pruning and pest control. Meanwhile, John answers a variety of member questions that commonly arise at this time of the year. | |||
| Attracting Wildlife To Your Garden With Mary Porter | 08 May 2023 | 00:45:59 | |
As gardeners, we're closer than most to nature and we have a good understanding of the role we play in attracting wildlife into our neighbourhoods. But, with many species in a progressive decline over recent decades, that responsibility becomes ever more critical. Mary Porter has dedicated much of her life to wildlife promotion and protection and we're delighted to have her as a guest to LYG as Spring brings fresh challenges and opportunities for us to do our bit. | |||
| Landscaping - The foundation of any great garden with Jan Prodger | 27 Apr 2023 | 00:31:43 | |
We put so much effort into finding the right plants for our garden, we sometimes miss the bigger picture of creating the right framework for all those expensive trees, shrubs, and flowers. The cost of good quality landscaping can be offputting but, like any good investment, it can pay off many times over. Our chat with professional garden landscaper Jan Prodger from Ace of Spades Garden Maintenance and Design gives a good insight into points to consider, and appreciation of the benefits of effective landscaping. | |||
| Getting the Best From Herbaceous Perennials with Rosy Hardy | 08 Apr 2023 | 00:43:03 | |
There are few better qualified to talk about herbaceous perennials than 24-time Chelsea gold medal winner Rosy Hardy from Hardy's Cottage Garden Plants and we're delighted to have the benefit of her knowledge once again to discuss this garden essential. | |||
| All Year Garden Design With Professor David Stevens | 21 Mar 2023 | 00:44:42 | |
Step away from the Garden Centre! Well, just for a moment as multi-award-winning garden designer and LYG member David Stevens gives you some valuable tips on using colour, texture, and shape of both foliage and flowers to keep your garden looking its best all through the year, including Winter. | |||
| Winter's Last Hurrah! Spring Preparation With John Stirland | 08 Mar 2023 | 00:34:40 | |
It's not terribly inviting outside, where I am at least, with snow falling and low temperatures set for the next few days. However, that hasn't stopped me from planting a good size Amelanchier Lamarckii and having a wee tidy up of some borders. This is the thing about March and whatever the weather might throw at us, gardeners gotta garden! | |||
| Vegetable and Herb Gardening In Containers With Maggie Stuckey | 19 Feb 2023 | 00:33:59 | |
Given reported supermarket shortages of fresh salad and veg plus exorbitant prices, there's never been a better time to consider growing your own, if you don't already. | |||
| All Set For A Successful Gardening Year! | 01 Feb 2023 | 00:22:00 | |
All gardeners know how good it feels at the start of a new gardening year, especially for UK gardeners coming out of Winter. To start off Season 3 of our LYG podcast, horticulturist John Stirland has some timely tips for jobs we can be doing including Winter pruning, transposing deciduous plants, and seed sowing, as well as answering member questions. | |||
| Hints & Tips On Using Colour In Your Garden With David Stevens | 06 Dec 2022 | 00:38:33 | |
It's always a pleasure to spend time with multi-award-winning garden designer and LYG member Professor David Stevens who rounds off series 2 of our podcast with some great tips on using colour to enhance your garden. As ever with David, there's always much more for the gardener than the headline topic and you'll need your notebook as he talks about colour blending and specific plants. We also discuss some of the plants in David's own garden so below is a link to some photographs to lend context: https://www.facebook.com/groups/574905686709417/permalink/1207884166744896 | |||
| Soil Improvement In The Peat-Free Era with Daniel Suggitt from PlantGrow | 22 Nov 2022 | 00:29:37 | |
I had the pleasure of a tour around Bardney Manor in Lincolnshire recently courtesy of owner Samantha Wright and discovered a pile of lovely rich soil which she'd had delivered ready to start a very ambitious project - more of which later. Anyway, after further investigation, it transpired that the soil was in fact PlantGrow, a soil improver made up entirely of plant matter from a process of bio-digestion. | |||
| Forty Minutes Of Gold With Houseplant Guru Joe Bagley | 14 Nov 2022 | 00:39:46 | |
If houseplants are your Achilles heel then this will be time well spent as we chat with Joe Bagley from ukhouseplants.com looking at position and light, potting, feeding, and general care tips as well as advice on specific plants including orchids. | |||
| Getting The Best Out Of Smaller Gardens With Michelle Macdonald | 06 Nov 2022 | 00:44:21 | |
How do you define a smaller garden? That's an interesting question that garden designer Michelle MacDonald herself asked in our wonderful conversation which covered all of the crucial aspects of designing or modifying a small garden, from planning to planting and maintaining. | |||
| More Plants For Winter Interest | 23 Oct 2022 | 00:26:03 | |
Autumn came hard and fast in the UK this year and all hopes of an Indian Summer have fizzled out under the rain so it's even more important to give some thought to some Winter colour. John Stirland has some more Winter plant suggestions while the ground is still in good shape for planting out. We look at Violas, Ferns, Festuca Glauca, Hellebores, Winter Aconites, Galanthus Elwesii, Iris Unguicularis and Callicarpa bodinieri Profusion. | |||
| Great Plants for Winter Interest | 02 Oct 2022 | 00:28:49 | |
Autumn seems to have come at us fast this year. It seems only five minutes since we were sweltering in 40 plus degrees but, here we are in October putting the garden furniture away or under cover and tidying up the garden ready for Winter. | |||
| Memories of Queen Elizabeth The Gardener With David Stevens, Plus Autumn Jobs | 18 Sep 2022 | 00:29:24 | |
Designer David Stevens recalls his meetings with the late monarch in their regular exchanges at the Chelsea Flower Show and we discuss Autumn jobs including some useful tips on finding those plants we want to move in Winter...but can't remember where we put them! Also, why it's important to know where garden centre plants have come from at this time of year - see Chapters for details. | |||
| Getting Your Garden Woodwork Ready For Winter with Jason Fitzgerald | 04 Sep 2022 | 00:31:19 | |
Yes, now is the time! While the weather is still fair and you can paint in a T-shirt, September is a great month to be sorting out your garden woodwork: fences, benches, Summer houses, sheds, pergolas and other timber products that will thank you for giving it some protection from our cold, wet Winters. | |||