Explore every episode of the podcast The Kitchen Garden Magazine Podcast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 - The Sweet Success of Strawberries: A Grower's Guide from Spring to Frost | 09 Jun 2025 | 00:18:33 | |
In this berry-packed 150th episode, we dive deep into the delicious world of strawberries and beyond. Fruit growing expert David Patch walks us through every season of strawberry care—from planting and feeding to mulching and rotating your crop for success year after year. Plus, Rob Smith joins in to share his top varieties of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and even thornless blackberries ideal for small spaces, containers, and gardens big or small. Whether you’re after a glut for jam-making or a steady trickle of berries for your morning yogurt, this episode has you covered with practical tips, clever tricks, and juicy inspiration. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 149 – Dream Beans: Growing Tips, Varieties & Greenhouse Jobs for May | 27 May 2025 | 00:17:07 | |
In this episode, Rob Smith sings the praises of broad beans — the hardy, fragrant, and easy-to-grow staple of UK veg patches. Discover his expert tips on sowing, spacing, and supporting your plants, plus how to guard against blackfly and chocolate spot. From rare heirloom varieties like Crimson Flowered and Martock to low-maintenance options perfect for busy growers, there’s a bean for every plot. Martin Fish joins us in the greenhouse to cover essential May jobs: planting tomatoes and cucumbers, sowing herbs, feeding strawberries, and managing watering and weeds. Whether you're planning an autumn bean harvest or prepping for a summer glut, this episode has you covered! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 140 - The Veg Plot in April | 13 Apr 2024 | 00:28:49 | |
The KG team of Steve, Emma and Tony gather to chat about the top tasks on the plot this month, to compare notes on what they have been up to in recent weeks and to talk about some of the latest gardening stories to hit the news – as well as the weather of course!
For more information check out the latest issue in the shops now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 050 Everything you need to know about polytunnels | 26 Feb 2019 | 00:15:19 | |
A polytunnel is an elongated semi-circular or square shaped tunnel. It is most often constructed using steel and is covered in polythene. Polytunnels come in a range of sizes and are used to keep plants, vegetables and fruits warm enough to grow in temperate regions. It can also enable you to grow fruits, vegetables, and plants out of season. Recorded live, in a polytunnel on the hottest day in February on record, Steve, Emma and Tony tell you everything you need to know. This episode has been supported by First Tunnels: https://www.firsttunnels.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 049 Edible Garden Club Talk | 22 Feb 2019 | 01:06:26 | |
Something slightly different for this episode. Editor Steve and Deputy Editor Emma gave a talk to the Horncastle U3A Edible Garden Club. Steve covers how the magazine is put together and Emma looks at some interesting fruit and veg she has attempted to grow! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 048 Heritage Chillies | 15 Feb 2019 | 00:13:02 | |
Chillies? Choose heritage. Continuing his series on heritage fruit and veg, Rob Smith shares some of his favourite varieties of chilli and points out that although the heat can be important, it’s the flavour that counts. Read by Rachel Atkins. This episode is supported by Victoriana Nursery Gardens. To find out more, go to https://www.victoriananursery.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 047 Getting ready for Spring - Mulches | 05 Feb 2019 | 00:11:58 | |
This month, Steve, Tony and Emma talk about getting your garden ready for spring planting, and take a close look at mulches. This episode has been supported Strulch - the light and easy to use garden mulch made from wheat straw for organic gardening https://www.strulch.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 046 The future of seeds (Post-Brexit) | 15 Jan 2019 | 00:15:39 | |
We try to reduce ‘vegetable miles’ by growing our own and buying locally, but often forget that their journey actually starts with the seeds. Hardly any of the vegetable seeds sold to UK gardeners and growers are produced in this country. Similarly, other products with local provenance are valued – local cider or breeds of livestock, for example – but rarely local varieties of vegetable. Change could be on its way, however. Small independent seed companies are becoming more popular; Brexit could bring new regulations that govern which vegetable varieties they can sell; and there are moves to encourage local production of seed. All this could lead to more choice for gardeners – giving us some tailor-made varieties and better quality seed. Rachel Atkins reads Sue Stickland's thoughts on the future of seeds... Post-Brexit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 045 Bringing The Joy To Veg Growing | 24 Dec 2018 | 00:11:49 | |
A Christmas Eve treat for our listeners - Gardening writer Wendy Pillar violated the rule ‘never meet your heroes’ when she visited veg growing legend Joy Larkcom at her home in Ireland. She was very glad that she did. Read by Rachel Atkins. Merry Christmas everyone! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 044 Live on BBC Radio Lincolnshire | 11 Dec 2018 | 00:04:03 | |
Kitchen Garden magazine was recently voted Britain’s best gardening publication 2018 by the Garden Media Guild at gardening’s version of The Oscars, held annually at The Savoy Hotel in London. To mark the occasion roving reporter Hope Bolger of BBC Radio Lincolnshire visited KG HQ in Horncastle for a quick chat over the airwaves with editor Steve Ott to find out more about the publication, why the judges awarded KG this great accolade and why one of the magazine’s newest writers, fruit expert David Patch, was also judged to be Britain’s best by his peers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 043 Garden Publication of the Year winner | 06 Dec 2018 | 00:08:41 | |
Kitchen Garden has picked up a top accolade from the Garden Media Guild Awards. The magazine was crowned Garden Publication of the Year at a lunch at The Savoy Hotel, London on November 29, while one of its contributors, David Patch, was named Practical Journalist of the Year at the event. Visit our YouTube channel to see our Christmas advert: https://www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine Mudketeers Club https://www.mudketeers.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 042 Christmas Gift Guide | 23 Nov 2018 | 00:06:40 | |
Rachel Atkins looks at a selection of gift ideas for green-fingered loved ones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 041 Super Tubers - Jerusalem Artichokes | 08 Nov 2018 | 00:10:01 | |
Apart from its infamous gaseous effects on the digestive system, the artichoke is no joke, says Rob Smith. It’s an attractive plant, easy to grow and produces tasty tubers - read by Rachel Atkins. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 139 - An Interview with Milly Fyfe | 29 Mar 2024 | 00:31:05 | |
KG editor Steve Ott chats to Milly Fyfe who (in no particular order) is a keen gardener, garden writer, farmer, Mum of two, home cook, food campaigner, award-winning digital marketing expert, Instagrammer and blogger as well as the owner of website www.nofussmealsforbusyparents.com (well-worth a visit for the delicious recipes alone!) Milly talks about her upbringing among a family of gardeners and her work promoting seasonal British farm produce as well as home-grown crops to parents and children alike. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 040 Jobs for October and question time | 11 Oct 2018 | 00:11:27 | |
Greetings from the KG plot! There's lots to do this month as we all prepare for Autumn and Winter - Martin Fish has the details. In Question Time we cover; Blackfly on beans, the Froghopper, poor soil problems, a failing apple tree and grafted tomatoes. Presented by Rachel Atkins. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 039 Dried and tasted | 21 Sep 2018 | 00:10:32 | |
Drying is one of the oldest methods of preserving fresh produce, and for the gardener it offers convenience, reliability and speed. Written by Benedict Vanheems. Rachel Atkins tells us what’s involved. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 038 Mushroom picking without the mystery | 28 Aug 2018 | 00:07:18 | |
Foraging expert Geoff Dann explains how by doing your homework you can gather wild mushrooms with safety. Read by Rachel Atkins. Fungi foraging can be daunting to a beginner. Britain is home to a vast variety (perhaps seven times as many species as there are plants) and some of them are deadly. In many cases, identification isn’t easy (even for experienced mushroomhunters). Going foraging with an expert doesn’t always help – some of my students, especially when the fungi are plentiful, are so overwhelmed that they are even more cautious at the end of the session than they were at the beginning. For most people, though, a few hours spent with an experienced person certainly speeds up the first steps. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 037 Trouble-free tomatoes | 17 Jul 2018 | 00:15:30 | |
From cracked or slow-ripening fruits to no fruits at all, blight-battered foliage or an outbreak of whitefly – a lot can go awry with your tomatoes. But forewarned is forearmed, says Benedict Vanheems. Understand the threats and take action now to ensure trouble-free toms. Read by Rachel Atkins. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 036 Recorded live at Easton Walled Garden | 23 Jun 2018 | 00:11:02 | |
The KG team went to Easton Walled Gardens near Grantham in Lincolnshire to film their videos for the forthcoming August issue. Join them as they take a stroll around the lovely fruit and veg garden and chat about the delights that they found there, such as burgeoning crops including potatoes, beans and salads and some of the many sweet peas that the gardens are famous for. Why not visit for yourself? For more info see www.visiteaston.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 035 Storytime with Kitchen Garden: Plot 4B | 22 Jun 2018 | 00:10:58 | |
How is it that an allotment can be kept so neat and tidy and packed with bountiful crops when its owner is never seen? Emma Rawlings narrates the story of the mystery of Plot 4B. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 034 Kitchen Garden April 2017 full audio edition | 16 Apr 2018 | 01:17:28 | |
As a special treat this month, we bring you the complete audio version of the April 2017 issue. Subscribers to our digital edition get the complete audio every month. For some great subscription offers, take a look here: classicmagazines.co.uk/kg264 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 033 Grow your own tea! | 11 Mar 2018 | 00:12:16 | |
In episode 33, Steve, Emma and Tony take a look at adding colour to your garden with dahlias, growing your own tea, salad varieties and asparagus. They discuss reducing the use of plastic on the plot, and introduce the potato bag challenge – all this and more is available in the April 2018 issue, on sale now. For some great subscription offers, take a look here: https://www.classicmagazines.co.uk/kg264 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 032 A salad of garden delights | 08 Mar 2018 | 00:14:33 | |
The choice of salad for the home gardener to grow is enormous and makes supermarket bags of leaves seem boring. Sue Stickland shares some of her favourites (read by Rachel Atkins). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 031 Top tomatoes | 01 Feb 2018 | 00:13:54 | |
I always remember my granddad growing tomatoes in his old greenhouse when I was a child. The thought reminds me of summer with hours spent in the warm sun, picking the ripe fruit, and it brings a huge smile to my face even now. I don’t have many gardening friends who don’t grow at least one type of tomato, be it in a hanging basket at the front of the house, or as a cordon in the greenhouse. There is certainly a type of tomato for every situation and for every taste. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 138 - An interview with Susy Bortolot | 06 Mar 2024 | 00:31:08 | |
KG editor Steve Ott chats to Susy Bortolot, AKA susybliving on Instagram and YouTube, about her obsession with growing her own, successional sowings and how moon phase gardening can both improve your crops, and your organisational skills in the garden! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 030 Jobs for the month - January | 02 Jan 2018 | 00:11:27 | |
Happy new year! Welcome to a wonderful new year of growing your own fruit and veg. What could be more exciting than the prospect of a new season ahead and all those seed packets to open and sow, with bumper crops to follow later in 2018. In this packed issue we have plenty of food for thought and top advice from our team of experts to get your gardening year off to the best possible start. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 029 Sprouts - Not just for Christmas | 20 Dec 2017 | 00:09:51 | |
It's almost Christmas, and we can't talk about festive related vegetables without mentioning the good old sprout. Heritage veg enthusiast Rob Smith loves them and highlights some of his favourite old varieties - read by Rachel Atkins. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 028 A look at the December issue | 16 Nov 2017 | 00:12:26 | |
It’s hard to believe that we are about to say goodbye to another gardening season. I hope yours has been as trouble free, enjoyable and productive as ours on the KG plot. But while it is sad to see the garden preparing for its winter hibernation, the prospect of a new gardening year ahead is so exciting. With this in mind we have some great features in this issue for you, including one for those of you thinking about giving over some space to a brand new vegetable garden. We can also announce the results of our two big competitions for 2017, the Passionate Plotter and Massive Marrow competitions. Both received a great response from you this year and I hope you enjoy reading about our prize-winning plots and seeing the skill of fellow readers who did battle with their superb squashes! We hope you will be inspired to enter our competitions next year, details of which will be announced early in 2018. Merry Christmas to all our listeners and readers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 027 Halloween Special - Embrace the Weird & Wonderful | 30 Oct 2017 | 00:11:39 | |
Pumpkins and winter squash have been around in one form or another for thousands of years, be it the stereotypical orange pumpkin that is carved at Halloween, or the small oblong squash which tastes just like a sweet potato. So, when is a pumpkin a winter squash? Or is it a gourd and where do courgettes fit in? The world of cucurbita (the family that all of the above belong to), can be a minefield. Therefore, I’ve tried to simplify which belongs to what and why. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 026 Grow your own Garlic | 16 Oct 2017 | 00:05:41 | |
Home-grown garlic tastes delicious and with many different varieties to grow it means you can experience a wider taste range than you would get with supermarket garlic. Garlic has been grown for centuries and has long been known for its healing powers. In Ancient Egypt garlic was renowned for its health-promoting properties and this has only strengthened as science has proved a lot of these claims. Growing your own may seem unnecessary when you can buy bulbs very cheaply in the supermarkets but home grown has a far superior taste. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 025 Thinking manure? Then think green! | 19 Sep 2017 | 00:12:45 | |
This time of year is one of flux for the kitchen gardener, as summer advances and gaps begin to appear where crops once stood. It’s hard to admit it, but the best of the growing season is past us and… whisper it… the cooler months of autumn and winter aren’t far off. But this podcast isn’t about writing off the summer and resigning yourself to the cold to come, far from it! It’s about hope and sowing the seeds of success – quite literally – for next year. And green manures are how you’re going to do it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 024 A look through the September issue | 15 Aug 2017 | 00:13:18 | |
In episode 24 of the Kitchen Garden podcast, Steve, Emma and Tony have a browse through the September issue (in the shops now). Topics include new kales, heritage lettuce, green manure and how to grow mushrooms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 023 Question Time | 01 Aug 2017 | 00:09:16 | |
Welcome to Question Time - Got a fruit or veg problem? Ask KG for help. This month's expert panel: Guy Barter - RHS chief horticulturalist, Emma Rawlins - Deputy editor, Kitchen Garden magazine, David Patch - Professional nurseryman, R V Roger Ltd, Anne Swithinbank - Contributor to Radio 4's Gardeners' Question Time, Steve Ott - Editor, Kitchen Garden magazine. Topics include:, Old wives’ tale old bean, Cut and runners, My rhubarb is flowering!, Lesser known brassica pest, Garlic rust - how serious? Send in your question - Email tflanagan@mortons.co.uk please include your full address (we do not publish full addresses). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 022 War on weeds | 18 Jul 2017 | 00:10:25 | |
In episode 22 of the podcast, it might seem like a losing battle at times but it’s not all doom and gloom on the veg patch. This month Julie Moore presents a chemical-free approach to ridding your plot of weeds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 021 The KG team look at the July issue | 13 Jun 2017 | 00:19:11 | |
The team are back together today to have a browse through the July issue of Kitchen Garden magazine which is in the shops now. We have some great offers availabe exlusively to our podcast listeners: http://classicmagazines.co.uk/kg229 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 137 - The Team chats to gardening expert Martin Fish | 13 Feb 2024 | 00:31:56 | |
KG readers will know Martin from his regular contributions to the magazine. A trained horticulturist, ex-nurseryman and head gardener, Martin now concentrates on his work as a writer and on giving talks at many major shows around the country where he works with wife Jill – Martin giving the gardening advice and Jill putting together delicious recipes using the produce he grows. Here he chats to the KG team about his life in horticulture and his exciting new garden in Lincolnshire. You can follow progress from the garden every month throughout 2024 in the magazine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 020 Jobs for the month - June | 09 Jun 2017 | 00:20:01 | |
Welcome to episode 20! Rachel Atkins talks you though tasks for your vegetable patch in June, including protect pea shoots, cut asparagus, pinch out broad beans, planting leek seedlings plus much more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 019 The power of yellow | 18 May 2017 | 00:08:18 | |
Welcome to episode 19 of the Kitchen Garden Podcast. Despite some initial reservations, allotment champion Steve Neal recounts the success of opening up an allotment site in Somerset to the National Garden Scheme. As an allotment association you get used to receiving a regular dose of unsolicited advice on how things could be done better or differently. It goes with the territory, as they say, but this comment from one of our own members made us momentarily pause in our tracks. Had we really grown a little bit above ourselves, opening our allotments alongside some formal gardens, belonging to fairly grand houses or old rectories, as part of the National Garden Scheme (NGS)? Iford manor, Bath Priory Hotel, Corsham Court, Algars Manor, Dyrham Park, Muriel Jones Allotment Fields – Frome. It doesn’t take much to spot the odd one out on the list. And any one man or woman with a dog can, and often does, wander down the allotments any old day and has a nose around, without having to fork out £4.50 for the privilege. A vision of potential public humiliation grew in the collective mind of the committee. The bunting all out for an open day where no one turned up, and a pile of unsold cake drying out under the gazebo. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 018 Pretty and productive | 24 Apr 2017 | 00:10:24 | |
A traditional potager is an ornamental vegetable garden where vegetables are grown with flowers and herbs, often in clumps rather than rows. It is in contrast to the tidy allotment where rows of veg neatly stride across the plot and flowers are often restricted to the edges or are purely for cutting. This is so much simpler to sow, hoe and harvest, when crops are in straight rows. So why bother to mix things up? The idea of a plot that is productive and beautiful is very appealing, although serried ranks of perfect veg have their own beauty too. Rachel Atkins reads Geoff Stebbings' feature on the challenges and rewards of mixing flowers and veg in a modern potager. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 017 Things to do in May | 10 Apr 2017 | 00:13:07 | |
It's National Gardening Week - In this episode, the team look through the May issue and talk about companion planting, making a carrot fly-free frame, growing in buckets, planting, heritage beetroot and look ahead to the Harrogate Spring Flower show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 016 New ways with an old Kitchen Garden | 27 Mar 2017 | 00:09:31 | |
In episode 16, Rachel Atkins reads Steve Neil's account of his visit to Ston Easton House in Somerset. Standing in the Saloon of Ston Easton House, looking through the old glass of the window at the cascaded waters created by Humphrey Repton, you wouldn’t think for one moment that you were in a hotel. You would think you were a guest of the family, invited to a country house weekend in Somerset. And of course Ston Easton house at one time, the family home of the Rees-Mogg family. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 015 Jobs for March | 07 Mar 2017 | 00:18:25 | |
Top tips for potatoes, composting brassica and soil warming, Apologies for the not so good audio quality this episode, it will be fixed next time. Promise. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 014 A taste of sunshine with Heritage tomatoes | 09 Feb 2017 | 00:12:26 | |
The tomato has become one of our most popular fruits to grow but it is easy to stick to the tried and tested. This episode, Rachel Atkins reads Rob Smith's feature, which challenges us to try out some of his favourite heritage varieties. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 013 You say potato, and I say... Heritage | 18 Jan 2017 | 00:12:06 | |
Happy new year and welcome to episode 13 of the podcast. This week Rachel Atkins reads Rob Smith's feature on heritage potatoes, that most versatile of edibles, exploring its rich history and sharing with us some favourite varieties. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 012 Merry Christmas from the KG team | 13 Dec 2016 | 00:17:56 | |
Welcome to the last podcast of 2016, we'll be back early in the new year when the effects of the mince pies have worn off. In this episode we have a look through the January issue which is in the shops now and listen out for our vegetable related Christmas song! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 011 Hard times no more - A Victorian Kitchen Garden restored | 29 Nov 2016 | 00:09:45 | |
The Workhouse Museum Garden in Ripon has a fascinating history and at the same time it maintains a thriving kitchen garden, as Martin Fish discovered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 136 - What are we doing in January? | 22 Jan 2024 | 00:26:18 | |
Jobs for January with the Kitchen Garden team
The KG team discuss what they are doing in the garden this month including sowing chillies and aubergines, keeping the snow from your fruit cage, forcing rhubarb and 101 uses for a hot water bottle! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 010 To heat or not to heat | 07 Nov 2016 | 00:29:25 | |
In this episode, the team take a look at the December issue which is in the shops now. Topics include beating whitefly, Growing cut flowers, Passionate plotters winners, Growing parsnips, Rhubarb, Annual herbs, Bamboo, Hotbed growing, Citrus fruits, a children's tool rack project, Montello tomatoes, Apple tasting test and Christmas gifts and recipes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 009 Halloween special - All about Pumkins | 30 Oct 2016 | 00:08:49 | |
Happy Halloween and welcome to episode 9. Today Rachel Atkins tells you everything you ever needed to know about Pumpkins. Growing advice, tricks and treats, varieties, harvesting, storing and carving.Did you know? Jack O' Lanterns were originally carved out of turnips, a Celtic tradition of warding off evil spirits. Pumpkins became the preferred choice only when Irish emigrants arrived in the US and saw that pumpkins had so much more potential for carving. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 008 Giant Pumpkins! | 11 Oct 2016 | 00:19:38 | |
Autumn is in full swing and Steve, Emma and Tony take a look at the November issue. This episode: Giant pumpkins, leaf grabbers, bees and Okahijiki (it tastes great but how do you pronounce it?). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||