Welcome to this Chelsea Flower Show special addition with fantastic contributions from:

• TV presenters Gaby Roslin & Ben Thompson
• Garden designer Jo Thompson
• Garden writer Arthur Parkinson
• Michael Marriott & Rosie Irving
• Naomi Slade and daughter Holly
• She Grows Veg
• Kim Stoddart & Ruth Hayes
• Sienna Hosta
• Harespring Cottage Flowers
• Adam Kirtland
• Kelly Stone
• Tom Coleman
• Alice Hare, and
• Susie White

It's a fascinating episode, as always, which sees me snooping around the Chelsea Flower Show on press day. Thanks for listening and watch out for series 8 coming soon! Mike

In this week's episode I chat with writer, author and owner of Bressingham Gardens, Adrian Bloom. We talk about: The beautiful gardens at Bressingham. Adrian's career, to date The creation of Foggy Bottom His new book, Foggy Bottom - A Garden to Share Photography, plants, and lots, lots more To order Adrian's new book, Foggy Bottom - A Garden to Share, click here. To learn more about Bressingham, click here. To learn more about Foggy Botton garden, click here. To follow me on my Instagram account click here. As always, my thanks to you for listening and don't forget to follow/subscribe and please leave a review if you are able. Thank you. Mike

In this week's episode of the Mike The Gardener - Gardening Podcast, I chat with Scotland Grows Editor and Podcaster and freelance writer M.T. O’Donnell. 

Amongst many topics, we discuss:

MTs, role as Editor and Podcaster for Scotland Grows.

The Scotland Grows magazine.

The challenges of gardening in Scotland. 

The TRELLIS charity - Gardening for Well-Being, and lots more. 

You can find out more about Scotland Grows by clicking here.

My thanks to MT for taking time out of her schedule to come and chat to us today. You can follow MT on her Instagram account by clicking here.  

And you can follow me on my Instagram account by clicking here.   

My thanks, as always, for listening, and please don't forget to follow/subscribe as there are more great episodes to come.

See you very soon. 

Mike

Yes the wait is almost over!

Your host, Mike Palmer, returns with a brand-new, exciting series of the popular 'Mic the Gardener' podcast on Friday, 27th August, 0600 (BST). 

Alongside the in-depth chats with fascinating garden presenters, journalists, designers and other gardening folk and the very popular plant profile episodes, Mike introduces a brand new feature, 'Up the Garden Path'. In these occasional episodes, Mike will take you 'Up the Garden Path' of some well-known personalities in the wonderful world of gardening. 

So tune in from Friday 27th August when Mike will take you 'Up the Garden Path' of plant fanatic, presenter and social media sensation, Michael Perry, a.k.a. Mr Plant Geek. 

Mike chats to Michael about his career to date and explores his beautiful new garden in Suffolk and of course, lots more!

Thanks to all of you who have left wonderful reviews. And if you haven't already, why not pop over to Apple Podcast and leave a review for Mike. 

You can follow Mike on his very popular Instagram account @mike_thegardener, where he shares his own garden through regular posts and live broadcasts (Mike's Sunday Stroll). 

He will also be starting a new series of live, 'Mike Chats to...'with some fantastic new guests. 

The 'Mic the Gardener' podcast is sponsored by Natural Grower. 

I'd like to thank each and every one of you for listening to, subscribing to and following my new Mic the Gardener podcast; I've enjoyed every single moment of recording, editing and presenting it. So many of you have contacted me to let me know you have also enjoyed the first series and/or have left amazing reviews on Apple Podcasts. And the response to the Mic the Gardener podcast survey was unbelievable. All of your comments and observations have been read and I've already started to plan for Series 2 with some really great guests and features in the pipeline! I will be back in early September, relaxed and raring to go again! In the meantime, you can follow and message me on my Instagram account @mike_thegardener or email the podcast at micthegardener01@gmail.com; I love hearing from you with your questions, suggestions and ideas for future episodes. So have a great summer and look forward to being with you all very soon. Mike

In this final episode of the first series Mike visits the stunning Waterperry Gardens in Oxfordshire where he chats with Managing Director, Simon Buchanan, Head Gardener, Pat Havers and Fruit Consultant, Chris Lanczak.  Waterperry Gardens is steeped in history, most notably with the arrival of the redoubtable Beatrix Havergal, with her partner Avice Sanders in September 1932. Together, at Waterperry, they set up a Horticultural School for Ladies which ran successfully until 1971.  The heritage of the horticultural school remains at the core of what is done at Waterperry, with the sharing of staff knowledge with visitors and apprentices alike.  The gardens themselves are evidence of Beatrix' horticultural virtuosity, in particular, the classical herbaceous border which remains an object of admiration to visitors, by virtue of the current gardeners' continuing faithfulness to its original conception.  Mike chats to Managing Director Simon Buchanan about the history of Waterperry and his role in progressing the future of the gardens. He also chats to Pat Havers, Waterperry's Head Gardener, about her passion for Waterperry and gardening, how she started in the garden some twenty years ago and how they maintain the stunning herbaceous border and lots more. Later, Pat takes Mike to meet Fruit Consultant, Chris Lanczak who takes Mike behind the scenes of their in-house fruit production operation, explaining how everything works, how late frosts have affected some harvests and recalls some of his memories working under Beatrix Havergal.  Mike brings the very essence of Waterperry Gardens to this episode, in his first outside broadcast.  And if you like visiting gardens, then Waterperry Gardens is a definite addition to your garden visit 'wish-list'.     Links: Waterperry Gardens - Instagram / Website Pat Havers - Instagram / Twitter Sadly, this is the last episode of Series 1, but Mike will return with a new series later this year. Thank you for all of your lovely messages and support for this first series.  As always, if you wish to contact Mike, you can follow and contact him under his Instagram account (@mike_thegardener), or you can email him directly via the podcast email address, micthegardener01@gmail.com. 

Sound Recordist & Post Production - SoNiche Productions. 

In this episode, the third in a series of 'plant special' podcasts, Mike chats to Clematis King, Raymond Evison, owner and founder of Raymond Evison Clematis. 

Raymond has spent six decades searching for, breeding and developing the world's best clematis.  Born in 1944, Raymond started his horticultural career at the age of 15 in Shropshire and quickly became the director of his first company 'Treasures of Tenbury Ltd'. A brutal winter killed a third of his mother stock and he moved the clematis operations to Guernsey, in the sunny Channel Islands, near France, where he set up the 'Guernsey Clematis Nursery' in 1985, to take advantage of the milder climate and longer growing season.

In this Clematis Special episode, Mike chats to Raymond who shares some invaluable hints, tips and advice about growing clematis. You'll learn what to look out for when you're buying clematis, how to plant them and everything you need to know about how to care for them. Raymond also provides some easy to follow instructions on how to prune clematis, a subject which some of us worry about needlessly.

For the more adventurous maybe, some invaluable hints and tips on how to propagate clematis.

And, amongst much more, you'll learn where the name for the popular Clematis 'Freckles' comes from.

After this wonderful episode, I'm sure, like me, you'll be ready to buy more clematis for your green space. Raymond's stunning collection of clematis can be found at his website www.raymondevisonclematis.com.

As always, if you wish to contact the show, you can email Mike at his email address micthegardener01@gmail.com or message him directly via his Instagram account @mike_thegardener.

In this exciting episode Mike chats to Ellen Mary. Ellen Mary is one busy lady who amongst many things is a social media influencer, gardening presenter, journalist, radio broadcaster, podcaster, one of the Top 5 Women Influencers in Horticulture (Grow Your Own magazine) and now an author, with her very first book 'The Joy of Gardening', published on 27 May 2021 by Goldfinch Publishing.  Ellen Mary chats to Mike about the book, how it came about and how she found the writing process in general. Mike and Ellen Mary also talk about the chart-topping 'Plant Based Podcast' which she co-presents with Michael Perry, a.k.a. Mr Plant Geek. Ellen Mary also chats about how she manages her extraordinarily busy workload and making hilarious Tik-Tok videos.  Later in this episode, Mike talks tulips, as he goes through your messages about the tulips you have grown the season, your favourite combos and where you buy your tulips from.  You can follow Mike on his successful Instagram account @mike_thegardener, and join him live every Sunday morning, 10am (GMT) when he takes us for a stroll around his Bournemouth garden and answers as many of your gardening questions as he can, live on air.  If you wish to contact Mike, you can do so through his Instagram account (@mike_thegardener) or through the podcast email micthegardener01@gmail.com.  Thank you for listening to the 'Mic the Gardener' podcast, and please do follow and/or subscribe, and if you listen through Apple podcast, please do leave a review.

In this exciting, second 'plant special' podcast, Mike chats to world-leading rosarian, Michael Marriot, formerly of David Austin Roses, where he was an integral part of the team for 35 years.

What Michael doesn't know about roses, frankly isn't worth knowing.

Mike chats to Michael about everything you need to know about growing the best possible roses, including how to chose the best varieties, planting, pruning, feeding, watering and pests & diseases. He discusses some great practical and organic solutions whilst also dispeling some urban myths about growing roses along the way.

Alongside his incredible knowledge and common-sense approach to looking after roses, he is also well-known for his rose garden design. As a garden designer, Michael is famed for his dense, romantic beds, whether planted purely with roses or mixed in with perennials. He has also designed many rose gardens and borders around the world.  Alongside private gardens, Michael has also designed gardens in the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Queen Mary's Rose Garden in Regents Park, Hampton Court Palace, Wynyard Hall, Trentham Gardens and the David Austin garden near Osaka in Japan.

In his work, Michael has travelled the globe, often sharing his expertise on the radio, television, and garden media publications and interviews.

He has played a vital role in the development and popularisation of English roses and has an intimate knowledge of all of the 200+ English roses, bred and introduced by David Austin roses.

So come and spend just under an hour with us and you’ll go away with the very best rose growing knowledge you could ever wish to have.

You can follow Michael on his Instagram account and at his website www.michaelmarriotrosarian.org

And if you wish to contact Mike, you can contact him via his Instagram account or by his email micthegardener01@gmail.com. 

In this episode Mike chats too Skinny Jean Gardener, Lee Connelly. Lee, one-time Blue Peter gardener, bestselling author of the 'How to get your Kids Gardening' book, successful podcaster with his Sunday Times Top 5 Podcast, the Skinny Jean Gardener podcast and spokesman and advocate for getting kids into gardening. 

Lee chats about his inspirational initiative, the School Gardening Success Plan, which aims to give 30,000 UK primary schools the capacity to teach their children to Grow Your Own. He also talks about his journey into gardening, some interesting 'behind the scenes' facts about being a Blue Peter gardener, and lots more!  You can find Skinny Jean Gardener on Instagram and Twitter.

Later in the episode, Mike thanks all of his listeners their support of his new podcast, which in just four months has attracted over 2.6 K listeners and regularly falls just outside of the Top 10 Apple UK Home and Garden podcast charts. 

If you wish to contact Mike, email micthegardener01@gmail.com or message him directly via his popular Instagram account. 

Who doesn’t love a blooming good dahlia? In this special edition of the Mic the Gardener podcast, Mike chats to Farmer Gracy horticulturalist, Naomi Jones about everything you need to know to grow dazzling dahlias in your green space. 

Every aspect is covered from what to do when you buy your dahlia tubers, what potting compost to use, how to start them into growth, watering, feeding, pest control and deadheading. 

And, irrespective of whether you’re a dahlia newbie or a dahlia doyenne, there is a special 10% discount on all Farmer Gracy dahlia orders until midnight, 18th April 2021. 

The Mic the Gardener podcast is sponsored by Natural Grower.

In this episode Mike chats to gardener, garden writer and author, Sally Nex about her incredible new book 'How to Garden the Low Carbon Way'. Her new book is packed with brilliant, topical and practical tips to help us in our own green spaces. Which potting compost should we be using? What can we plant to lower our carbon footprint? Are there alternatives to synthetic fertilisers?  How can we cut out single-use plastics? 

In this fascinating episode Sally chats to Mike about the book, her career as a gardener, writer and author and we learn a few things about Sally's previous career as a broadcast journalist and war correspondent for BBC News which she hasn't chatted about before!  You can follow Sally on her website and her Instagram account @sally.nex. 

We also catch up with Otis Scadding, a local, professional gardener and best friend of Mike, who works in the beautiful Dorset area. Otis, has just moved into a new home and garden and chats to Mike about his plans for the garden and what he has done so far. 

To see more of Otis' new garden you can follow him on his Instagram account @otisthegardener. 

And you can follow Mike's progress in his garden on his Instagram account @mike_thegardener. Mike also has a LIVE(!) weekly Sunday Stroll around his garden every Sunday at 10am (GMT), so why not join him to see first hand what he's getting up to in his beautiful garden. 

If you wish to contact Mike, you can email him at the podcast email micthegardener01@gmail.com or message him directly via his Instagram account

Thanks so much for listening and please don't forget to SUBSCRIBE and if you are listening on Apple podcast, please leave a REVIEW. 

Mike chats to television presenter, Katie Rushworth of ITV's highly popular garden makeover programme 'Love Your Garden' about making beautiful gardens in the rain, being a jobbing gardener and coarse fishing..., yes, coarse fishing!  They also talk about her own family garden makeovers (see Katie's Instagram for more information) and her very successful garden consultation business. You can find more information about this at https://katierushworth.com.

Also in this episode, Mike takes us for a wander around his beautiful garden in Bournemouth, on the south-coast of England and tells us about some of the gardening jobs we can all be doing in our gardens and green spaces.

You can find out more about Mike through his Instagram accounts, @mike_thegardener and @mic.thegardenerpodcast and his website    www.mike-palmer.com.

And you can contact Mike through the podcast email micthegardener01@gmail.com.

And don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW and if you listen through Apple podcasts, please leave a REVIEW.  Thank you for listening. 

In this week's episode of the Mike the Gardener - Gardening Podcast, I return to Kingston Maurward, horticultural college, where I learnt my trade many, many years ago.

Nigel Hewish, the Head Gardener there, is responsible for the national collection of salvias held within the grounds of the college. What Nigel doesn't know about salvias frankly, isn't worth knowing.

In this informative episode, we chat about:

• Where salvias originate from
• How to grow them
• How to propagate them
• How to get the very best from them
• Planting companions
• Pests and diseases, and much more

My thanks to Nigel for taking time to come and talk to us today.

If you want to know more about me and my own garden, you can follow me on my Instagram account, mike_the gardener. 

My thanks to you for listening, and please don't forget to follow/subscribe as there are more great episodes to come.

And, if you are able to, please leave a review so that other gardening enthusiasts can find us here.

Thanks for listening and see you next week.

Mike talks to awarding winning royal florist extraordinaire, author and presenter Simon Lycett from 'Lycett Towers' in London - check out his website for the most beautiful displays to cheer you through the February Freeze.  Mike and Simon explore the stigma experienced identifying as a florist in an all-boys school. Get to the roots of what it is really like to be a florist in lockdown and find out more about plans for Series 2 of Full Bloom, flower friends!  As always Mike catches up with professional gardener, Otis Scadding, to discuss horticultural college, qualifications and the benefits of getting invaluable plant experience from working in a garden centre If you need a spot of romance, then you have all the flowers you need right here.  And you can join Mike on his weekly Sunday Strolls LIVE from his garden on his Instagram account to see what's blooming (or chilling!) in his space.  Thanks for listening and please do SUBSCRIBE and if you listen on Apple Podcasts please leave a review.  Mike 

January 2021,  Lockdown 3 might be upon us in the UK but we are still tending the soil.  Mike meets The Almanac's author Lia Leendertz who warms our feet like a toasty fire with tales of meditation and the journey to being a writer. Dorset gardener Otis reveals a garden designers start-of-year regime.

In this most welcome New Year special, Mike grabs his unwitting producer Jo to chat through a selection of your 2021 gardening New Year’s resolutions. There are also some great resolutions from some of our friends in the celebrity gardening world. You’ll hear about the origin of the courgette challenge, dreams of ‘no dig’ and so much more.

The first episode of an exciting new podcast from professional gardener and garden designer, Mike Palmer.   We join Mike from his beautiful garden in Bournemouth where he has spent most of 2020 sharing his gardening and garden design knowledge on his Instagram. In this pilot episode, Mike is joined by successful author, RHS judge, curator and gardener at Stockton Bury Gardens, Tamsin Westhorpe.   They discuss Tamsin’s very first jobs in horticulture, including being an interior landscaper and gardener for the Bournemouth Parks Department  Tamsin can be found on Instagram. Mike also chats to his best friend and professional gardener, Otis Scadding , who shares how gardening could just be the tonic we all need this winter and how gardening helps him live with anxiety and depression. As we approach the end of the year, Mike also encourages us all to consider and share our gardening new year resolutions.   If you wish to contact Mike you can email him at or on Instagram. This podcast has been made in association with audio producer Jo Tyler of Soniche Productions  Happy Christmas and New Year to all.  Mike 

Hello and welcome to the Mike the Gardener - Gardening Podcast. In this first episode of Series 7, I'm delighted to be joined by the rather lovely Anya Lautenbach, a.k.a. Anya, The Garden Fairy (Instagram).

Anya's brand new book, her first, The Money Saving Gardener is published on 8 February by DK books.

We chat about:

• How the book came about
• The writing process
• Anya's first gardening memories
• How a personal tragedy led to her building a beautiful garden of her own
• How she got into propagation
• Her plans for the future, and lots, lots more.

You can follow Anya on her Instagram account by clicking here and details of her new book and can be found here.

You can find out more about me and my garden by following me on my Instagram account.  Click here for more information. 

Thanks for listening and I'll be back next week.

Mike

In this weeks episode, I chat to another Head Gardener, Nigel Hewish of Kingston Maurward college in Dorchester.

I completed my horticultural training at Kingston Morwood many years ago, and it was a delight to catch up with Nigel to talk about the gardens and his career.

In this chat, we cover:

• Nigel's career to date
• His love of trees and shrubs
• The plant collections at Kingston Maurward
• The impacts of climate change, and lots more.

There's also some very handy gardening advice and tips about caring for penstemons and salvias.

To learn more about Kingston Maurward, click here.

To learn more about me, click here

Thanks to you all for listening to this series and I will be back shortly with Series 7.

Mike

In this fascinating episode,  I chat to Charles Carr, who is the Head of Wholesale Nurseries at Hillier Nurseries Limited. 

Charles took me on a tour of the site and it's just incredible to see this massive operation, and the technology thats in use, the skills of the staff all around the site and most importantly, the quality of the plants that are produced.

I chat to Charles about his role and, as with so many conversations I've had in this series, we talk about the impact of climate change and going peat free and how the industry is responding to these very real challenges. Hilliers Nurseries are pretty much peat free, and they have some fascinating technology to help them learn about this new growing medium. And for all of us, whatever the size of our garden, we too will need to learn about how to grow our plants in a peat, free medium.

As you might expect, we cover a lot of ground within this discussion, including pests and diseases, what happens during the winter months, the importance of learning and development for staff, new plant development, and Charles own plant passions and of course lots more.

Thank you all for listening to this series of the Mike The Gardener – Gardening Podcast and I will be back in the New Year with one more episode for this series, before picking up again in spring with Series 7.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy, 2024.

Mike

In this episode of the Mike the Gardener - Gardening Podcast, I go back to a garden, that's not too far from me, the Harold Hillier Gardens in Ampfield near Romsey to chat to Head Gardener, Fran Clifton.

I last visited Fran a couple of years ago, when we talked about the stunning winter garden, but today, we talk about:

• Fran's role as head gardener
• What the role entails
• How much time does she actually get to spend in the garden as opposed to looking after the paperwork in the office
• How has her role as head gardener changed over the years and more. 

We also touch upon the very important topic of climate change and Fran shares how she is responding to the challenges of an ever-changing weather pattern.

And for those of you, who think that gardening comes to an end in winter, Fran tells us exactly how she and her team get ready for next year's season and what jobs need to be done.

We also talk about dahlias, tulips, the Chelsea Flower Show, re-wilding, National Collections and lots, lots more.

I think it's fair to say this episode is crammed with helpful information.

Hello, and welcome to this weeks episode of them Mike The Gardener - Gardening Podcast. 

This week I chat with Harry Baldwin, the Head of Horticulture at the beautiful Borde Hill Gardens near Haywards Heath, West Sussex, UK. 

In this current series of the podcast, I've been chatting to a number of Head Gardeners & Heads of Horticulture about their roles, their careers and the gardens they work in. 

I met with Harry in late September to talk about his career, his job at Borde Hill, the gardens, the challenges they face and lots, lots more. 

To follow Borde Hill Gardens, click here. 

To follow me on my Instagram page, click here. 

As always, thanks for listening and don't forget to follow/subscribe.

Mike

Hello and welcome to this episode of the Mike The Gardener - Gardening Podcast. In this episode, I chat to gardener, writer and author, Miranda Janatka, whose second book, Happy Indoor Garden has just been published by Batsford Books. Until recently, Miranda was also a senior content creator for the fabulous Gardeners’ World magazine. We chat about: Her career to date How she got into gardening Her books and the writing process How own garden, and of course lots more My thanks to Miranda for taking time to come and have a chat with us. You can follow Miranda on her Instagram account by clicking here. You can follow me on my Instagram account by clicking here. Please don't forget to follow/subscribe as there are more episodes to come. Thanks for listening! Mike

In this episode I travel to Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens near Weymouth in Dorset (UK) where I chat to Curator, David Pearce.

We chat about:

• His role as Curator.
• The gardens and how they're looked after and maintained.
• The historic plant collection
• Gardening jobs for autumn and winter.
• David's own plant passions.
• Why people should go to Abbotsbury Gardens.
• The joy and passion that working in the garden, and within the horticultural industry brings about.

To learn more about Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, click this link.

To learn more about David Pearce, click this link.

As always, don't forget to follow/subscribe as there are more great episodes to come.

And you can learn more about me by following me on my Instagram account by clicking this link.

Thanks for listening and see you soon. Mike

Hello, and welcome back to episode two of series 6 of them Mike The Gardener - Gardening Podcast.

In this episode, I chat with Roz Chandler, a cut flower farmer and teacher, writer, speaker, and fellow podcaster. And, if that were not enough, she is also an award-winning wedding florist based in Milton Keynes.

I chat with Roz about everything you could possibly need to know about growing cut flowers from how she started to how to keep the business running successfully.

To learn more about Roz click here to check out her fantastic Instagram account

Thanks for listening to this episode and please don't forget to follow/subscribe. And, you can follow me on my Instagram account, Mike_the Gardener by clicking here.

And I will see you all very very soon.

Mike

In this week's episode, I chat with garden writer and author, climate change expert and editor of Amateur Gardening magazine, Kim Stoddart.

We chat about:

• Kim's excellent new book, 'The Climate Change Resilient Vegetable Garden', published by Cool Springs Press.
• Resilience
• The importance of connecting with nature
• Wellbeing
• Emotional regulation
• Nutrient density, and, of course, lots more

To learn more about Kim head to her website by clicking here, or to her Instagram account by clicking here.

You can learn more about me by heading to my Instagram account bye clicking here, or have a read of my writing on Substack by clicking here.

Thanks to you all for listening and please don't forget to follow/subscribe and please leave a review if you are able.

I'll see you next week.

Mike

Hello and welcome back to Series 6 of them Mike The Gardener - Gardening Podcast. The eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed the title of the podcast has changed very slightly. I'm ditching the 'MIC' (which was a nod to the microphone element) in favour of MIKE.

And, in a further change for this series, I will have an occasional co-host who I introduce you to in today's episode.

Going forward, there will still be your favourite content, including:

• Interviews with great, gardening, personalities, gardeners, garden, designers, broadcasters, and more.
• In-depth plant specials
• The ever-popular Slot From the Plot, and
• Much, much more

As always, please do contact me with your questions, suggestions, comments and feedback at my new email address mikethegardenerpodcast@gmail.com, or you can contact me via my Instagram account @mike_thegardener.

Please do recommend the podcast to your gardening friends & family and if you're able, why not give me a share on social media. And to make sure you don't miss out on a single episode please follow/subscribe.

Thank you!

Mike

Hello, and welcome to this bonus episode of the Mike the Gardener – Gardening Podcast. This time we return to the allotment with Otis to see what has been happening since we were last there a few weeks back.  And, I can assure you, the allotment has been very, very productive. I know that, because we've been lucky enough to be on the receiving end of some of the delicious crops, including bumper hauls of courgettes, beans and beetroot.  In today's episode, we touched upon the use of peat-free compost.   Have you been using peat-free compost on your allotment this year? We'd be really interested to know how they have performed for you? Do tell us which products you have used and the results you have got. In the meantime, I will be back with Series 6 in mid-September, so I look forward to seeing you all then. Mike

Hello and welcome to this last episode in the current series of a Mic The Gardener - Gardening Podcast.

As I said last week, we have a great final guest today, in fact, it's my youngest guest on the podcast ever. 

Now, one day, when I was whiling away time on good old Instagram, I stumbled across an account in the name of The First Time Gardener. Now, there are two people behind this particular account, one of whom is probably more in charge of the shall we say administration, whilst the other person is the face of the account. So, completely bowled over by the contents of their page, I contacted them to ask if they would come and have a chat on the podcast.

So, today, I'm absolutely delighted to be joined by Joanne and her son Charlie. We talk about:

• How the account came about?
• What Joanne was hoping to achieve through the account?
• How Charlie became the face of the account?
• Their plans for the future (gardening and Instagram), and
• Charlie's plans for the future, and lots more.

My thanks to Joanne and Charlie for taking time to come and have a chat with me. You can follow their account by clicking here.

You can follow me on my Instagram account by clicking here.

I will be back shortly with another Slot from the Plot special.

As always, please don't forget to follow/subscribe and please leave a review if you are able.

Mike

In this week's episode, I head back to Otis and Ben's allotment to see how things are progressing so far this season.

I'm delighted to advise that for the first time in the series, so far, the weather was absolutely gorgeous. Clear blue skies, a very gentle breeze and temperatures soaring, especially in the tunnel.

Today we chat about:

• Some nifty little hacks, including how to make more cuttings from tomatoes
• Companion planting
• The impact of the current and prolonged dry spell in the UK and across Europe, and there's some food tasting along the way!

And of course, we have a good look around the plot to see what's cropping, what is due to crop and discuss any little problems along the way.

You can follow Otis on his Instagram account by clicking here. And, you can follow me on my Instagram account by clicking here.

Next week is our last proper episode in the current series, and I will be chatting to a very young gardener, Charlie and his mum Joanne. You can find out more about Charlie and Joanne by following them on their Instagram account by clicking here.

I will be heading back to the plot to chat to Otis and Ben in the weeks ahead, so do tune in to our specials in the weeks ahead.

In the meantime, please don't forget to follow/subscribe, and if you are able to leave a review that would be wonderful.

See you next week, as always.

Mike

In this week's episode of the Mic The Gardener - Gardening Podcast, I chat with friend and nursery owner, Ruth Goudy.

Ruth is one of the owners of the Kiln Farm Nursery in Kesgrave, Ipswich alongside husband Paul.

We chat about:

• How the nursery came about
• How it grew and developed into the thriving business it is today
• What is entailed in running a successful garden centre
• What are the future plans for the garden centre?
• And lots, lots more.

It's a fascinating insight into garden centres, which we, as avid gardeners frequent in the hunt for good, quality plants and garden supplies for our gardens.

My thanks to Ruth for her time. You can find out more about Ruth by following her popular Instagram page @theflowerwriter.

and, you can find out more about me by following my Instagram page @mike_thegardener.

Please don't forget to follow/subscribe, and if you are able, please leave a review.

Thanks for listening.

Mike

In this week's, episode of the Mic The Gardener - Gardening Podcast, I chat to Gardeners' World presenter, garden designer, and author, Adam Frost.

Probably one of the most requested chats from all of you over the last two years, and finally it's happened.

In an open, frank and very honest, interview Adam talks about:

• His career to date.
• Working alongside the legend that was Geoff Hamilton.
• His new garden
• His own recent health issues
• “An Evening with Adam Frost” UK shows, and much , much more

Adam will be appearing at this year's Gardeners' World Live in Birmingham 15-18 June.

Check show press for his appearances and schedule of activities.

My thanks to Adam, his team and the BBC Gardeners' World team for their help in arranging this chat.

As always, please don't forget to follow/subscribe and leave a review if you are able.

And, as always, I will see you next week.

Mike

In this weeks episode of the Mic the Gardener – Gardening Podcast, I chat to YPHA committee member, Sarah Want.

The YPHA is the Young People in Horticulture Association and is a fantastic initiative for anybody in gardening or horticulture under the age of 35. 

In this episode, I chat to Sarah about:

• What the YPHA is?
• Who it's for?
• What its objectives are?
• How it helps its members?
• And lots, lots more.

To join the YPHA, or get more information tap this link.

The YPHA can be found on Instagram and LinkedIn by tapping these links.

Thanks for listening, as always, and please don't forget to FOLLOW/SUBSCRIBE, and if you are able, please do leave a review.

I will see you next week.

Mike

In this week's episode of the Mic The Gardener - Gardening Podcast, I take you all to the Chelsea Flower Show Press Day. I'm very lucky to be invited to this, and decided it would be great if I could share some of the atmosphere of the day with you here on the podcast. Celebrities and gardening personalities wander up and down Main Avenue and around the Great Pavilion. It's the place to be seen on Press Day. In this episode, I speak to the following people: Rossana Porta: I was lucky enough to work alongside Rossana, who worked alongside Manoj Malde, to orchestrate the planting of his beautiful Garden of Unity. Rossana tells us all about her career and her role in making this beautiful garden. Sienna Hosta (Chris): Chris and Ollie have both been previous guests on the podcast, and I catch up with Chris to see how their Chelsea journey has been. And it certainly hasn't been without a few problems along the way. Lincolnshire Pond Plants (Dawn): I chat to Chelsea first timers, Leicestershire Pond Plants, and Dawn tells me all about their experience of exhibiting in the Great Pavilion for the very first time.  Steph Hafferty & Kim Stoddart: Kim has been a recent guest on the podcast when she chatted about climate change gardening. I caught Steph and Kim shortly after they entered Chelsea to find out what they were hoping to get from the day. Michael Perry a.k.a. Mr Plant Geek, and Ellen Mary: Again two lovely people have been guests on the podcast previously. I bumped into Michael in the Great Pavilion, and, as he was sharing his Chelsea experience, we were joined by the lovely Ellen Mary. Tom and Jenny Williams (The Laundry Garden): I visited Tom and Jenny last year at the beautiful Laundry Garden, which was a very popular episode on the podcast. I caught up with them in the Great Pavilion as they shared their plans for the day and their plans for the future. Thanks for listening as always, and don't forget to follow/subscribe. As always, if you are able to leave a review that would be great. See you next week, as usual. Mike

In this week's, episode, I chat to gardener, cook, writer and author, Mark Diacono. 

We talk about Mark's career and how he first got into gardening and became a foodie. We also chat about music, which is a strong theme in Mark's life, photography and Mark’s love of the written word and of course lots lots more. 

You can find out more about Mark by heading to his Instagram page or website and you must read his brilliant, Mark Diacono's Imperfect Umbrella Substack page which can be accessed via this link. 

You can also follow me on my Instagram account by clicking here.

Thank you so much for listening, and if you are able, please do subscribe/follow and if you are able please leave a review.

See you next week.

Mike

In this week's episode of the In this week's episode of the Mic the Gardener - Gardening Podcast, I chat to climate change gardening expert, Kim Stoddart.  Kim's new book, ‘The Climate Change Garden', which she co-authored alongside Sally Morgan gives us a fascinating insight into climate change, and how we as gardeners need to adapt our working practices to achieve bountiful and productive gardens in a world, where the weather patterns are constantly changing and are at times becoming extremely challenging Kim tells us about: How the changing weather patterns impact how we garden How it climate change is impacting the timing of the arrival and types of pests we find in our gardens How looking at the gardening practices and approaches of yesteryear and embracing thrift and connection, could actually lead us to better resilience in our own green spaces, and much, much more We also chat about how it's important for us as gardeners to adapt to the changing climate with some helpful and handy tips on things we can incorporate in our own green spaces to make positive changes. It's a fascinating and timely chat about a subject that we will all have questions and concerns about.   To buy a copy of ‘The Climate Change Garden’ click here. To find out more about Kim visit her website by clicking here, and you can follow her on her Instagram account by clicking here. You can also follow me on my Instagram account by clicking here. Thanks for listening and don't forget to follow/subscribe and, if you are able, please do leave a review.  See you next week. Mike 

In this week's, episode, I head back to the Cotswolds for what is fast, becoming my annual get together with garden writer, Val Bourne.

The weather, not on our side, this time, meant we had to record this episode in the lounge of Val's beautiful cottage.

We chat about:

• Writing for a living
• Val's pretty cottage garden
• Erythroniums
• Dahlias
• Ed Sheeran (!), and,
• Lots more as always

Please don't forget to follow/subscribe as there are more episodes to come. And please do leave a review if you are able.

To follow me on my Instagram account tap here.

See you next week.

Mike

In this week's, episode of the Mic the Gardener - Gardening Podcast I chat with gardener, writer, podcaster, garden coach, and now author, Andrew Timothy O’Brien.

In his own words, Andrew says he is the owner of a too-loud laugh. I disagree, it’s great to hear the sound of people laughing in a world where there’s too much sadness and bad news, don’t you think?

I chat to Andrew about his new book 'to stand and stare' published by DK books. There's a lot of gardening advice out there. But none that invites you to think about how to be while you're in your garden. With increasingly busy lives, yet another list of chores seems like the last thing we need when it comes to our own practice of self-care and relaxation. After all, aren't these the things we wanted to escape to the garden for in the first place? What if there was a more low-intervention way to garden, some reciprocal arrangement through which both you and your soil get fed - with minimum fuss, effort and guilt on your part, and the maximum measure of healthy, organic growth for your garden?

We chat about: 

• How the book came about
• Andrew’s love of the writer and spoken word
• Andrew’s podcast, Garden Weeds & Words,
• Our thoughts on gardening on social media and of course, lots more

You can buy a copy of 'to stand and stare' by clicking this link.

You can get more information about Andrew by visiting his website, and you can follow him on his Instagram account by clicking here. You can also follow me on my Instagram account by clicking here.

Thanks for listening and please don't forget to follow/subscribe as there are more episodes to come. And, if you are able, please leave a review with your preferred podcast provider.

Thank you!

See you next week.

Mike

In this week's episode of the Mic The Gardener – Gardening Podcast we head back to Otis and Ben's allotment in Wimborne. 

Despite the cold, grey weather, there is plenty of activity going on on the plot as you'll hear in this episode.

But, Ben and Otis have also had their fair share of trials and tribulations to contend with, so it hasn't all been plain sailing.

If you are interested in jotting down exactly what they are growing in the allotment, at the moment, here is the list:

• Spring onions, garlic, French beans, wineberries, gooseberries, turnips, carrots, parsnips, beetroot, zucchini, shallots, potatoes, strawberries, tomatoes, courgettes, sweet, peppers, and cucumbers.  
• And to keep all of us ornamental growers happy you come include lupins and dahlias on that list

Thanks for joining us, and don't forget, you can follow me on my Instagram account where I am @mike_thegardener, Otis is @otisthegardener and Ben is @shortish. 

As always, don't forget to follow/subscribe and if you're able and please do leave a review for other listeners.

And I will see you as usual next week for some more gardening podcast fun.

Mike 

In this weeks, episode of the Mic The Gardener – Gardening Podcast I chat to friend, YouTube sensation, homesteader and author, Liz Zorab. Liz's new book, The Seasoned Gardener has just been published on Permanent Publications, and I chat to her about: - How she started homesteading  - - - How she started her successful YouTube channel with over 122,000 subscribers. - How she started writing, and, lots lots more. If growing your own and homesteading is something you have considered, have just embarked upon, or would like to embark upon, then this episode is perfect for you. You may even be one of Liz's 122,000 subscribers, in which case you'll be interested to hear how Liz set up her successful YouTube channel. Or, you may just be interested in listening to another great chat with a very inspirational and determined lady. You can follow Liz on her YouTube channel by clicking here. You can learn more about Liz and order her books by visiting her website. As always, don't forget to follow/subscribe and if you're able and please do leave a review for other listeners. And I will see you as usual next week for some more gardening podcast fun. Mike 

In this week's episode of the Mic The Gardener - Gardening Podcast, I chat with hardy geranium expert, Gary Carroll of the Cranesbill Nursery.

Geraniums are a fantastic, genre with plants that fit into so many different aspects within our gardens and indeed in containers. In this episode, Gary tells us about:

• Geraniums for different places (dry and damp locations in sun, shade and containers)
• How to look after hardy geraniums
• Pests and diseases
• How to propagate hardy geraniums, and much, much more

It's a fascinating episode, which will have you reaching for pen and paper before heading to the Cranesbill Nursery website, www.cranesbillnursery.com. 

You can also follow the Cranesbill Nursery on Instagram by clicking here. 

You can follow me on my Instagram account by clicking here.

Thanks for listening and don't forget to follow/subscribe, and if you are able, please do leave a review.

See you next week.

Mike

In this week's episode of the Mic the Gardener – Gardening Podcast, I chat with best-selling novelist, Erica James.

Erica's latest novel, ‘A Secret Garden Affair' has just been published and unsurprisingly is already heading towards the top of the charts.

We chat about:

• Her career to date.
• How she first got published.
• How she writes.
• Her new novel, A Secret Garden Affair, and lots, lots more  

And, did we really record the second half of our chat in the shower? You'll just have to listen to find out more.

You can follow Erica on her Instagram page by clicking here or head to her website www.ericajames.com.

Please don't forget to follow/ subscribe as there are still more episodes to come. And, if you are able, please do leave a review with your preferred podcast provider.

See you next week.

Mike

In this week's episode of the Mic the Gardener – Gardening Podcast, I chat to Sarah Gerrard/Jones, a.k.a. The Plant Rescuer. Sarah is a self-taught houseplant obsessive who firmly believes every plant deserves a happy life. Her determination to see beyond the 'perfect plant' and to rescue unloved plants makes her the go-to guide. We chat about: - Her career to date. - How her obsession with houseplants began. - Her new book, The Plant Rescuer – The Book Your Houseplants Want You To Read - And, her fantastic Plant Rescue Box initiative. You can find out more about Sarah by visiting her website www.theplantrescuer.com or head to her Instagram page by clicking the link here. Thank you for listening and please don't forget to follow/subscribe and, if you're able, please leave a review with your preferred podcast provider. See you next week. Mike

In this special bonus Slot From the Plot episode recorded on 29th March we head back to a cold, wet and blowy allotment for our second visit of the season to chat with Otis.

Sadly, all is not well at the allotment. And this I'm sure will be familiar to many allotmenteers who sow seeds for this seasons crops, only to find that something has got in there and nibbled their plans for successful seedlings. However, in better news, Otis tells me what has been planted, what is growing along well and what their plans are for the next few weeks.

We start this episode by reviewing the frustrating developments in the polytunnel. If you have any tips for success, especially around keeping mice away from your prize seedlings, do drop me a line and let me know, so we can share your tips on the next episode. 

You can follow us on Instagram, where I am @mike_thegardener and Otis is @otisthegardener.

We will be back here again on the slot very soon.

Thanks for listening.

Mike

In this week's, episode of the Mic the Gardener Gardening Podcast. I chat to peony expert, RHS gold medal winner, and owner of the Primrose Hall Nursery, a peony specialist about, well, you've guessed it, peonies. we talk about: - Different types of peonies. - How to look after peonies. - How to maintain peonies. - Pests and diseases. - And, we dispel a few old house wives tales along the way. It's an incredibly informative podcast episode, so grab a pen and paper before you start listening. And, Alec's new book 'A Love Affair with Peonies' is available via his website www.primrosehallpeonies.co.uk. Thanks for listening and don't forget to follow/subscribe and, if you're able, please leave a review. Mike

Hello and welcome back to this weeks episode of the Mic the Gardener – Gardening Podcast.

This week, I chat with BBC TV Gardeners' World and ITV Love Your Garden TV presenter and horticulturist, Frances Tophill.  

We chat about:

• Her career
• How she secured roles with ITV's Love Your Garden and BBC's Gardeners’ World
• The importance of community gardening
• Her very own new garden
• Collaborating on a show garden with Grayson Perry, and
• Lots, lots more.

I also ask Frances, if she were given him the opportunity to appear on one of the following reality TV programmes, which would it be:

• C4’s The Piano
• BBC TV’s The Great British Sewing Bee, or
• C4’s The Great Pottery Throwdown

It's a fascinating, delightful and insightful chat with one of our favourite TV gardening presenters and authors. To learn more about Frances head to her Instagram page by clicking here.

You can follow me on my own Instagram account by clicking here.

Thanks for listening and as always, don't forget to follow/subscribe, as there are plenty more episodes still to come. And, if you are able, please do leave a review with your preferred podcast provider if you are able.

Thank you.

Mike

Hello and welcome back to this week's, episode of the Mic the Gardener - Gardening Podcast.

This week we return to the allotment to chat to Otis about:

• What went well last year
• What didn't go quite so well last year?
• What's new for the plot this year?
• What they learnt from Year One?

We also chat about some exciting new additions to the plot.

If you are an allotment holder or are thinking about starting an allotment, do let me know as I love to hear from you.

Also, if you can recommend any particular varieties of crop that have done, particularly well, and those which haven't, again, do let me know, so we can include them on a future episode.

You can follow Otis and Ben on their respective Instagram accounts by clicking here for Otis, and here for Ben.

You could also follow me on my Instagram account by clicking here

As always, thanks for listening and don't forget to follow/subscribe and leave a review if you are able.

See you all soon.

Mike

In this week's, episode of the Mike The Gardener – Gardening Podcast, I chat to my friend and one time tutor, garden writer, broadcaster, and author, David Hurrion.

 

Twenty years ago, I was lucky enough to have had David as the tutor of my RHS level 1 course. As you will hear in today’s episode, David’s vocation has been to share his vast knowledge of all things, plants, gardening and horticulture with others. He’s also been a journalist, writer and editor, working for publications, including Amateur Gardening magazine and Gardeners’ World magazine.

 

David’s new book The Raised Bed Book, has recently been published by DK books, and in today’s episode we chat about:

 

• David’s new book and how it came about
• David’s career to date
• The importance of inspirational teachers/tutors
• Broadcasting on radio and television, and lots lots more

My thanks to David for joining me in today’s episode, and to find out more about him or to order the book, please click here.

 

You can find out more about me and follow me on my Instagram account by clicking here.

 

Thanks for listening, and please don’t forget to follow/subscribe, and if you are able, please do leave a review.

 

See you next week.

 

Mike

Hello and welcome back to this week's episode of the Mic the Gardener - Gardening Podcast.

And so here it is, the one you've all been waiting for, including me!

So many of you have contacted me asking if we can do a special episode on hellebores. There's clearly a lot of love for our heavenly hellebores out there, and I'm a massive fan, that's for sure.

So, I racked my brain, wondering who I could approach to talk to about these wonderful plants. There was, in all honesty, only one person on my agenda, so I dropped him a line. And, lo and behold, he agreed.  I am, of course, talking about the wonderful, John Massey (VMH). John suggested, however, that he bring along his top hellebore breeder, Kevin Belcher, to join in the conversation. You wait just over two two years for a hellebore expert come along and then two come along at once!

This fascinating and insightful episode will have you reaching for pen and paper to jot down some timely and extremely helpful hellebore facts as we discuss:

• How to get the very best in your hellebores
• Planting tips
• Maintenance advice
• Dealing with pests and diseases
• Propagation, and much, much more

My thanks to John and Kevin for their time, and for making the recording of this episode an absolute delight.

You can get more information about hellebores, and buy online by visiting www.ashwoodnurseries.com and you can follow Ashwood Nurseries on their Instagram account by clicking here.

Whilst I'm in the process of thanking people, my thanks to all of you for your questions, your support, and for listening to the Mic the Gardener – Gardening Podcast.

You can follow me in my garden on my Instagram account by clicking here.

As always, please don't forget to follow/subscribe and leave a review if you are able.

See you next week.

Mike