Explore every episode of the podcast Two Good Gardeners

Perennials are probably the most popular type of plant in the UK, but that wasn’t always the case. In this episode, we talk with Rosy Hardy, the Chelsea Flower Show’s most decorated female exhibitor. She has won 24 gold medals and helped many garden designers and colleagues win awards with her plants. Rosy explains how she helped make perennials popular over the past forty years and shares advice on choosing varieties that can handle our unpredictable summer weather. Later, Dan introduces an innovative plastic-free insect net made from plant fibres, and Julia recommends an unusual fruit that grows well in hot, dry summers.

Website links:

• Hardy's Cottage Garden Plants website offering over 1200 perennials grown peat-free.
• A selection of Rosy's most resilient perennials
• Rosy Hardy Gardening on YouTube
• Dan Cooper Garden
• Insectonet Plastic-Free Net
• Parker's Patch

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Tucked away on the embankment, the Inner Temple Garden has a long and impressive history, including a time when it hosted what is now called the Chelsea Flower Show. In this episode, Dan and Julia chat with Sean Harkin, the Head Gardener, about how he and his team have made the garden a wildlife-friendly, award-winning space while honouring its horticultural roots. In a full-circle moment, we hear that the Inner Temple will host a brand-new plant fair on Sunday, 31st May, 2026. Dan also introduces new plant-based gardening gloves for summer, and Julia shares tips on how to do the Chelsea Chop.

Website links:

• The Inner Temple Garden website
• Advance tickets for the Plant Fairs Roadshow at the Inner Temple on 31st May 2026
• Dan Cooper Garden
• Donkey Gloves Bamboo Gardening Gloves
• Parker's Patch
• How to do the Chelsea Chop

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Britain's country estates must honour their history while looking ahead. In this episode, we talk with Jay Goddard and Mark Bobin from Borde Hill in Sussex to learn how their historic garden became home to nearly 100 champion trees and a national collection of rhododendrons. We also hear about their exciting plans for a new 'garden to plate' restaurant, which will use produce from an edimental garden designed by Anne-Marie Powell. Plus, Dan explains why copper keeps slugs and snails away, and Julia gives an update on her efforts to grow a healthier lawn as she waits for a hollow-tine aerator to arrive.

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Copper Slug Rings
• Parker's Patch
• Borde Hill's website
• Restaurant Isca website
• More Information about the Plant Fairs Roadshow at Borde Hill

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Chillies are prized for the heat and flavour they bring to cuisines all over the world. In this episode, your hosts talk to Clare Kennett of Clare's Chillies about what makes them so addictive and how to grow them successfully at home. Clare shares her top tips for success and common pitfalls when growing these fiery fruits. Also in this episode, Dan recommends a wildflower seed mix that can help restore the natural health of your soil, and Julia describes how to grow one of the chilli family's milder members, the Padron. As always, there's a list of jobs to do in your garden over the next fortnight and news of what Dan and Julia will be getting up to over the coming fortnight.

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Wildflower Seeds for Soil Health
• Parker's Patch
• Clare's Chillies on Facebook
• Clare's Chillies on Instagram
• Plant Fairs Roadshow at Ramster Hall Gardens

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When it comes to creating gardens for the greater good, no landscape architect approaches the subject with more knowledge, passion and commitment than Marian Boswall. In this episode of Two Good Gardeners, your hosts catch up with Marian to discuss the philosophy underpinning her latest book, The Kindest Garden, and learn more about Chalk to Coast, a visionary landscape project working to create a nature recovery corridor across Kent. Also in this episode, Dan extols the virtues of bronze tools, and Julia encourages gardeners not to panic if they didn't sow seeds in March. As always, the episode concludes with a list of jobs you can be doing in your garden over the next fortnight.

• Dan Cooper Garden
• PK Bronze Tools
• Parker's Patch
• Marian Boswall Landscape Architects
• Chalk to Coast

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In this episode, your hosts find out how Steve Edney and Lou Dowle of The No Name Nursery have created a stunning 3-acre garden-nursery that operates off the beaten track and entirely without mains services. The plant-loving partners share insights into how they garden off-grid and cultivate a wide variety of plants for sale as bare-rooted plants. Also in this episode, Julia describes how to grow your own ginger from supermarket-bought rhizomes, and Dan extols the benefits of Traditional Garden Growers, an innovative range of mulches and plant foods made principally from wool and straw. Your hosts round off with a list of jobs you can do in your garden over the next fortnight, and a reminder that the next Plant Fairs Roadshow event takes place at the Horniman Museum on Saturday, 4th April 2026.

Steve's 'must have' aster - "Doellingeria umbellata". Flat-topped aster

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Traditional Garden Growers Range
• Parker's Patch
• The No Name Nursery

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• Dan Cooper Garden
• Biofleece frost protection fabric
• Parker's Patch
• Hever Castle

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Dan and Julia look back on 2025 with a lighthearted New Year Quiz packed with laughs and unexpected revelations. Discover which fungus Dan would describe himself as, and what weed he would munch to treat gout - don't try this at home! Julia proves she knows her Niwaki, but not her onions and can't remember what lurked in her granny's drawers. Listen carefully, and all will be revealed! The episode ends with the announcement of an exciting new sponsor for Series 7, The Plant Fairs Roadshow. To find out where they'll be stopping this year, keep scrolling down.

Two Good Gardeners will return in late February/early March 2026 with eight additional episodes featuring brand-new guests and many brilliant gardening tips.

PLANT FAIRS ROADSHOW 2026

SNOWDROP & EARLY SPRING

• 1 February, 11am-3pm Hole Park, Rolvenden, Kent TN17 4JA

SPRING

• 22 March, 10:30am-3:30pm Hever Castle, Hever, Edenbridge TN8 7NG
• 4 April, 11am-4pm Horniman Museum & Gardens, Forest Hill, London SE23 3PQ
• 19 April, 10am-5pm Arundel Castle & Gardens, Arundel, W. Sussex BN18 9PA
• 26 April, 10am-3pm Ramster Gardens, Godalming, Surrey GU8 4SN
• 10 May, 10am-3pm Borde Hill Gardens, Haywards Heath, W. Sussex RH16 1XP
• 31 May, 11am-4pm NEW! The Inner Temple Garden, Temple/Blackfriars, London EC4Y 7HL

SUMMER

• 7 June, 9am-4pm NEW! Chiswick Flower Market, Old Market Place, Chiswick High Rd, London W4 2DR
• 14 June, 11am-4pm Benington Lordship Gardens, Stevenage, Herts. SG2 7BS
• 28 June, 10:30am-3:30pm EXTRA DATE! Hever Castle, Hever Rd, Hever, Edenbridge TN8 7NG
• 5 July, 12pm-5pm Parham House & Gardens, Storrington RH20 4HR
• 26 July, 11am-4pm ADVANCE PURCHASE ONLY The Serge Hill Project, Featherbed Ln, Herts. WD5 ORT

AUTUMN

• 5 September, 11am-4pm EXTRA DATE! Horniman Museum & Gardens, Forest Hill, London SE23 3PQ
• 13 September, 10am-3pm West Dean Gardens, Chichester, W. Sussex PO18 ORX
• 20 September, 10am-3pm Borde Hill Gardens, Haywards Heath, W. Sussex RH16 1XP
• 27 September, 11am-4pm Mount Ephraim Gardens, Faversham, Kent ME13 9TX

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Plant Fairs Roadshow

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

B Brooks is the Managing Director and a Course Director at the English Gardening School, based at London’s Chelsea Physic Garden. Former students include Cleve West, Butter Wakefield, Rachel de Thame, Joe Swift and Manoj Malde, and the list goes on! Like many eminent gardeners, B's career began in a completely different field, and she began her transition to gardening 15 years ago at the English Gardening School. In this episode, Dan & Julia find out why B made the change and how she became one of the most prominent figures in garden design. Listen for advice on how to design your own garden, and elevate your gardening skills to a new level.

Jobs for the fortnight

1. Bring forced bulbs into warm, bright light to encourage flowering over Christmas and New Year.
2. Plant garlic this month; you need a cold snap to force the cloves to divide and grow.
3. Clean, sharpen and oil tools ready for the seasons ahead. Use white vinegar to remove surface rust; if that doesn’t remove it all, use a Crean Mate rust and sap eraser.
4. Don’t walk on lawns if they are frozen; you will snap the blades and cause damage. Wait for the temperature to rise before stepping out.
5. Continue to prune apples and pears. Use attractive prunings in Christmas arrangements to produce support for other flowers.
6. Make festive decorations and gather pine cones, etc., for the Christmas table. Pine cones can be encouraged to open by warming them gently in an oven.
7. Keep houseplants in a light, warm room; hold off on watering too much, and stop feeding until spring. Watch out for aphids, which can spread like wildfire in the right conditions.
8. If you are bringing a cut Christmas tree into the house, make sure you keep the base of the trunk in water.
9. Try to stop pond water from freezing by floating a ball in the water. Whatever you do, don’t attempt to break the ice manually as the impact can disturb pond life.
10. Prune grape vines, remove last year’s growth, leaving approximately 4 of the most vigorous canes, then prune these back to 15 buds per cane. Vines benefit from a hard cut. Using anvil secateurs will make this repetitive job much more bearable.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Dan's advice on choosing a real Christmas tree
• Parker's Patch
• The English Gardening School
• BB Garden Design

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ben Cross is a 4th-generation flower grower and the proprietor of Crosslands Flower Nursery. Specialising in the cultivation of alstroemerias for the cut-flower trade, Ben is one of a diminishing number of commercial growers in the UK. Dan and Julia find out why the big supermarkets aren't supporting British growers and where our cut flowers really come from - you might be surprised! Along the way, they learn how easy alstroemerias are to grow in your own garden or greenhouse, so why not have a go?

Jobs for the fortnight

1. Many seed and bulb merchants are releasing their new catalogues and plant lists now. Place orders early for any unusual varieties that might sell out quickly.
2. Add a thick layer of nutritious compost to your vegetable beds. If you’re unlikely to be doing much gardening between now and spring, you might want to cover them with cardboard to stop weeds from germinating.
3. Get your tulip bulbs in any time between now and Christmas, but don’t forget about them. If you need to keep them for a while, make sure they’re somewhere cool, dry, dark and well ventilated, so they don’t go mouldy.
4. Protect and stake your brassicas - Brussels and broccoli are prone to leaning over or snapping in high winds. Support emerging broad beans sown outside and keep an eye out for peckish pigeons.
5. Check apples stored last month for signs of rotting, and remove any blemished ones immediately. Don’t worry if you still have apples to pick.
6. Tidy up strawberry plants and pot up any baby plants sent out on runners
7. Build new compost bins to accommodate the massive volume of leaves, weeds and cleared vegetation that need somewhere to go at the end of the year 
8. Clean bird baths and top up bird feeders.
9. It’s the final window to plant autumn onion and shallot sets, and get ready for garlic next month.
10. Prune apple and pear trees from now until the end of February before new growth starts.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Dan's Calendar of Events
• Parker's Patch
• Crosslands Flower Nursery

To order Ben's alstroemerias, drop him a line at crosslandsflowernursery@gmail.com

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan & Julia talk to Niall McCauley, an Irish gardener, TV presenter and content creator, about how to plant a garden for year-round colour and interest, discovering in the process that Niall has more than one string to his bow! Later in the episode, Julia describes how to give a redundant Halloween pumpkin a new purpose, and Dan reveals what made his top 10 Christmas gifts for gardeners.

Jobs to do in your garden this fortnight

1. Continue to clear fallen leaves from lawns or paths.
2. Plant tulip bulbs in pots, and make sure you put squirrel deterrents over the pots —use netting, rose clippings, or chilli powder, anything that works for you.
3. Order and plant bare-rooted trees and shrubs.
4. Clear dead flowers, foliage and spent annuals.
5. Wrap tender plants and pots in bubble wrap or fleece to protect them from frost.
6. Clean, dry and oil any garden tools you don’t expect to use over winter and put them away carefully. This is an excellent job for a rainy November afternoon.
7. Continue to mow the lawn on a nice day, raising the blades higher than usual.
8. Raise pots off the ground to prevent waterlogging and eventual freezing. If they’re really old or precious, bring them into a shed or porch for extra protection.
9. If you live in a cold area, now is the time to lift dahlia tubers to store and dry over the winter. For help on this, here's a link to Dan's expert guide.
10. Plant asparagus crowns and rhubarb plants.
11. Pick holly with berries before the birds strip them, and store them in a cool place until Christmas.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Dan's Calendar of Events
• Parker's Patch
• Niall Gardens website
• Niall Gardens YouTube

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan and Julia talk to Rose Armstrong of McBeans Orchids, one of Britain's oldest and most illustrious nurseries. Your hosts discover what makes orchids such a vast and successful plant family and what's needed to grow and propagate them successfully at home. Before you ask, rainwater IS required, so get collecting now! Later in the episode, Julia explains how to overwinter your favourite chilli plants, and Dan describes the difference between bypass and anvil secateurs. As always, there's a handy reminder of the jobs you can be doing in your garden over the next fortnight to round off.

Jobs for the fortnight

1. Mulch around the base of plants and over empty beds and borders. Over winter, worms will busily pull the organic matter into the soil, improving its structure. 
2. Collect leaves and add them to your compost heap, or pack them into jute sacks. They’ll slowly decompose to make leaf mould—one of the most precious ingredients in good compost. Shredding them will make them break down faster.
3. Brush paths with coarse sand or use a jet washer to remove moss and algae, which can become slippery when wet or icy.
4. In exposed gardens, reduce the height of tall shrubs such as roses, buddleia, and lavatera to prevent them from rocking in high winds. For the same reason, newly planted trees should be staked low down.
5. Turn off the water supply to outdoor taps and drain hosepipes before storing them. Install a water butt if you need a ready supply of water over winter.
6. If you’ve experienced blight, black spot, rust, or mildew this season, it's essential to remove and destroy any infected plant matter. 
7. Cutting off this year’s hellebore leaves is a good idea, allowing an uncluttered view of the nodding blooms in spring.
8. Take a walk around the garden and inspect the large shrubs and trees, noting any branches that appear as if they might fall. Remove them yourself using loppers or a pruning saw if you feel able. If in doubt, call an arborist for a second opinion and to carry out the work. Do the same exercise for fences, garden buildings and ornamental structures, such as pergolas. 
9. Give the lawn one last cut, avoiding emerging bulbs - some early-flowering varieties can appear above ground well before Christmas.
10. Order and plant bare-rooted plants. This is one of the cheapest and most environmentally friendly ways to create a hedge, rose garden, orchard or woodland area. 

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Dan's Calendar of Events
• Parker's Patch
• McBean's Orchids

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, your hosts quiz Acer expert and Vice Chair of The Maple Society of Britain & Ireland, Miles Hayward, on how to grow acers in your garden, creating unparalleled colour and form year-round. They find out how to pick a top-notch plant, learn the best way to plant it, and discover which other plants acers associate well with. Later in the show, Julia shares a clever way to use up excess chillies before ending with suggestions about what you can do in your garden over the next fortnight:

Jobs to do in the garden over the next fortnight:

1. Keep picking dahlias. Watch out for mildew as nights become colder.
2. Take hardwood cuttings from flowering shrubs such as Cornus, Hydrangeas, and Philadelphus. These can be rooted directly in the ground - it's easy-peasy.
3. Plant amaryllis bulbs for Christmas, keeping two-thirds of the bulb above the compost. Water sparingly until the leaves appear.
4. Lift and store bananas, cannas, tender salvias & ginger plants BEFORE they get frosted.
5. Do the same with dahlias once the first frosts have appeared. If you live in the southeast, you can leave them in the ground under a decent pile of mulch. 
6. Repair damaged lawns. Scarify and aerate with a garden fork. There's still just enough time to reseed if you're quick about it, but don't delay.
7. Cut back the asparagus fern once it turns yellow.
8. Sow broad beans either directly or under cover in deep pots to be planted out next month.
9. Sow onion, garlic and shallot sets from now.
10. Continue to pick up fallen fruits, store and leave a few for wildlife to help themselves.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Dan's Calendar of Events
• Parker's Patch
• Miles Japanese Maples Instagram
• The Maple Society of Britain & Ireland

Contact Miles by email: miles@milesjapanesemaples.co.uk

Contact Miles by phone: 01798 688123

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dan and Julia chat with Toby Shaull of Zophian Plants about his journey from pro-skateboarder and carpenter to specialist plantsman and pioneer of alternative growing mediums. Toby is part of a new generation of nurserymen gently nudging small-scale, commercial horticulture into the 21st Century.

Toby will be offering plants for sale at these forthcoming events;

• Plant Fairs Roadshow at Mount Ephraim Gardens, Kent - Sunday, 28th September 2025
• Great Dixter Plant Fair - Saturday, 4th and Sunday, 5th October 2025

Jobs to do in your garden this fortnight

1. Keep deadheading dahlias and give them a potassium-rich liquid feed to boost flower production; this will also help maintain their vibrant colours as the weather cools.
2. Prepare hyacinths and narcissi for Christmas by potting them up in peat-free compost before popping them in a cool, dark place until new growth is 5-6cm long.
3. Bring houseplants inside that were evicted for the summer. Remove dead or damaged leaves and check underneath the pots for slugs and snails.
4. It’s your last chance to cut topiary and hedges before winter.
5. Order overwintering onion sets and plant them this month or next. Nudge them into the ground with their tips just protruding.
6. Remove greenhouse shading.
7. Tidy tomato plants by cutting off leaves that shade any fruits still left to ripen. It’s still relatively warm, so tomatoes will continue to grow if they receive enough light.
8. Freeze any excess fruit if you are short on time; tomatoes and berries can be frozen whole.
9. Divide older or very large rhubarb crowns to create new plants; this will also rejuvenate the existing crowns.
10. Order sweet pea seeds, these can be sown in the autumn or next spring, often, the best varieties sell out quickly.

Dan's featured products:

1. Signature Potting Trowel - perfect for filling pots with compost and a lovely gift for keen propagators.
2. Signature Slim Transplanting Trowel - ideal for moving self-seeders and planting small bulbs. Minimises disturbance of neighbouring plants.
3. Signature Disc Weeder - a round 'Hori Hori' for cultivating, weeding, scraping off moss, clearing gutters and removing weeds from cracks in paving.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Dan's Calendar of Events
• Parker's Patch
• Zophian Plants Instagram

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan & Julia kick off the new series of their podcast with their reflections on the long, hot summer of 2025, comparing notes on how it's impacted their gardens and their plans for the future. Also in this episode, your hosts share simple recipes that helped turn a glut of courgettes into tasty and crowd-pleasing meals, plus a list of jobs you can do in your garden to keep it beautiful and bountiful through early autumn.

Garden jobs for the fortnight

1. Watch out for powdery mildew, which takes hold when a plant has dry roots and wet foliage. It’s prevalent in autumn. Spray the leaves of vulnerable plants with a solution of bicarb dissolved in water - a teaspoon should do. Or invest in a mildewcide such as SB Plant Invigorator.
2. Keep deadheading dahlias and make sure they’re firmly staked.
3. Watch out for Asian Hornets and report sightings to the UK Centre for Egology and Hydrology
4. Start planting spring-flowering bulbs. Daffodils and snowdrops in particular will start producing roots as soon as the first autumn rain has fallen.
5. Box moth caterpillars will be starting their last lifecycle before winter, so don’t stop whatever preventative treatments you’re using until October.
6. Direct sow hardy annuals, including wildflower seeds, into prepared seed beds. Resist the urge to scatter seeds among grasses or established plants; the competition will be too much for your seedlings.
7. Start making space in your greenhouse, conservatory or garage for tender plants that need winter protection.
8. Continue sowing salads, such as lettuce, rocket, and mizuna.
9. Find a good pair of gardening gloves that will help you work in wet weather. We’ve just discovered Niwaki’s fleece-lined rubber gloves and love them!
10. Start to store fruit, namely apples and pears, slightly under-ripe, with no soft or damaged fruit. Store in a cool place in trays that allow air to circulate.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Dan's Calendar of Events
• Parker's Patch
• Report an Asian Hornet Sighting

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the last episode of this series, your hosts, Dan Cooper and Julia Parker, talk to Guy Watts and Jason Gilford of Architectural Plants about what makes the perfect sculptural specimen, the challenges of running a nursery during a heatwave, and how much risk to take when choosing borderline hardy plants. Julia shares her favourite architectural edibles, and Dan recommends mini shears for creating prize-winning Niwaki - all will be revealed when you listen!

Two Good Gardeners will return in Autumn 2025 for a sixth series - subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts for updates and special bonus episodes.

Website links:

• Architectural Plants Website
• Dan Cooper Garden
• Dan's Calendar of Events
• Parker's Patch
• Book Tickets to listen to Julia in conversation with Marian Boswall on 22nd July

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dan & Julia take a trip to Bolney in West Sussex, where small-scale flower growers and plant nurseries gather once a month to present their produce to florists and the general public. Julia talks to Laura Fisher at Wild Willow Flowers about the idea behind the Homegrown Market and chats with some of the visitors. Later in the episode, Dan reveals his favourite deadheading tools and Julia explains how to take cuttings from your favourite hydrangeas. Your hosts conclude with a list of jobs to do in your garden over the next fortnight.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• The Homegrown Market - next date, July 4th 2025
• Holmbush Flowers - cut flower growers
• Branshill Plants - species pelargonium specialists
• The Hampshire Seed Company - cut flower seed suppliers

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dan & Julia chat to Lorraine Caley of Caley Brothers, gold medal-winning mushroom growers. Lorraine and her sister, Jodie, have built a thriving business by running mushroom-growing workshops and selling mushroom kits, gaining fame with their eye-catching, intriguing displays of edible fungi at the Chelsea Flower Show. If you don't know a lot about fungi, listening to this interview is a must! Later in the episode, Julia shares her experience of growing oyster mushrooms using a kit, and Dan suggests ten things you can do in your garden over the next fortnight. Here's a reminder:

Jobs to do this fortnight

1. Plan spring bulb displays for autumn planting, succession planting for late summer colour and cropping. 
2. Arrange for someone to water your garden if you’re planning a holiday in July or August.
3. Sow annual flowers for an extended season of colour, salads for summer, vegetables for autumn cropping, all the autumn and winter-picking brassicas and biennial flowers to bloom next spring. 
4. Plant container-grown shrubs, roses, perennials and climbers. Summer bedding and dahlias. Plant up containers of all shapes and sizes.
5. Prune early-spring-flowering shrubs, taking care not to disturb nesting birds.
6. Harvest asparagus, broad beans, carrots, cauliflower, lettuce, mint, parsley, radishes, rhubarb, spinach, spring cabbage, spring onions, strawberries, gooseberries, and elderflowers.
7. Pick - peonies, roses, delphiniums, lupins, alstroemeria, sweet peas, lavender. Please give them a long drink in a bucket of cold water before arranging.
8. Buy - plants that fill the ‘June gap’, young vegetable plants, bedding plants, peat-free compost for containers, tomato and lawn food, liquid seaweed and weeding tools. It might also be a good time to invest in a new hose or watering can.
9. Enjoy the early mornings and long, light evenings, the increasing temperatures, and strawberries and gooseberries eaten straight from the plant.
10. Visit - open gardens and nurseries across the country, but especially those specialising in roses. 

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Caley Brothers' website

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a busy visit to the Chelsea Flower Show, Dan and Julia reflect on how the UK's premier horticultural showcase is evolving. They compare what caught their eye, from bonsai potentillas to pelargonium-scented candles. As always, you can expect a candid assessment of the show through your hosts' eyes, accompanied by laughter and amusing anecdotes.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Dan's Chelsea Survival Guide
• Dan's article on the Chelsea Chop
• Parker's Patch
• Kent Wildflower Seeds Website

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dan and Julia talk to Charlotte Denne of Kent Wildflower Seeds about her family business, growing native wildflowers in your garden, and the groundbreaking exhibit she's taking to the Chelsea Flower Show. We learn how wildflower seeds are produced for sale and which are best suited to beds, containers and meadow areas. Julia highlights the many wildflowers you can eat and throws in some cultivated ones for good measure, while Dan suggests two products to help create the perfect seedbed for outdoor sowing. Your hosts conclude with a list of jobs to do in your garden and share what they're getting up to over the next fortnight.

If you notice a little background noise during this podcast, that's Julia's builders working around the clock to complete her new extension! We hope the sound of busy tradesmen won't impact your enjoyment of this uplifting episode.

Jobs to do in the garden this fortnight

1. Regularly water direct-sown seeds, including wildflowers, new plantings and containers.
2. Sow biennials, eg dianthus barbatus, hesperis & digitalis.
3. Chelsea Flower Show week is a good week to cut back herbaceous perennials and herbs. This will extend the flowering season and produce more growth.
4. Feed strawberry plants in flower and make sure they are watered regularly.
5. Throw netting over strawberries and other soft fruit.
6. Divide houseplants that are getting too big.
7. It's a good time to propagate spider plants, monstera, coleus and philodendrons.
8. Sow more salads, beetroot, radish, peas and spring onions for later crops.
9. Earth up potatoes
10. Plant out sweetcorn or sow if you have not started yet.
11. Watch out for pests namely, lily beetle, asparagus beetle and box moth caterpillar, all three can destroy overnight.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Dan's article on sowing a wildflower meadow
• Dan's article on the Chelsea Chop
• Parker's Patch
• Kent Wildflower Seeds Website

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dan & Julia talk to Thomas Pearson, a young entrepreneur who takes an old-fashioned approach to selling terracotta pots from his yard in rural Herefordshire. Julia extols the virtues of growing salad leaves in containers and ponders on how long to protect her precious lemons, while Dan suggests three products to take the strain out of filling and watering pots. Your hosts conclude with a list of jobs to do in your garden and share what they're getting up to over the next fortnight.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Tom's Yard Website
• Tom's Instagram Account

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dan & Julia talk to Katie Derham, BBC Radio 3 broadcaster, Queen of the Proms, and Strictly Come Dancing finalist, about how she combines her love of gardening and music. Julia grows tomatoes from shop-bought fruit, and Dan shares alternative Easter gift ideas. Your hosts round off with a list of jobs to do in your garden over the Easter holidays.

Katie's Instagram account - https://www.instagram.com/thekatiederham

Music in Bloom on BBC Radio 3 - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001yr8j

Dan's alternative Easter gift ideas - https://www.dancoopergarden.com/collections/easter

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Kew Wakehurst

Expertly produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first episode of their new series, Dan and Julia chat with Paolo Arrigo of Seeds of Italy, discovering why it's important to preserve old vegetable varieties and exploring their importance to Italian cuisine. Julia enlightens Dan about cultivating garlic greens, and Dan prepares to tiptoe through the tulips in his new Italian gardening clogs.

Paolo's 'eternal' tomatoes: https://seedsofitaly.com/tomato-principe-borghese-da-appendere-or-eternal-tomatoes/

Spinach 'Monstreux de Viroflay': https://seedsofitaly.com/spinach-monstreux-de-viroflay-16th-century-paris/

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch

Produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this bonus episode, Dan and Julia set the scene for Series 5 of Two Good Gardeners. They share what caught their eye at the Garden Press Event in February and what hot topics are coming up later in the spring. Listen to find out whether Dan can speak Cornish and how Julia managed to break her nose.

Episode 1 will be released on Friday, March 28th 2025

Dan's article:

Heritage vegetables - what they are and why you should grow them

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch

Produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To round off Series 4 of Two Good Gardeners, Dan & Julia test each other's memory with a New Year quiz. The scores may not be high, but there are laughs aplenty! Join in and see if you can guess Dan's Desert Island flower and the length of Julia's prize-winning parsnip!

The Two Good Gardeners will return in spring 2025 with a brand new series.

Jobs to do in the garden this fortnight:

1. Dan - Sow chilli seeds under cover - a warm environment is essential!
2. Clean, sharpen and oil tools.
3. Sort out your seed tin and order seed catalogues.
4. Keep feeding the birds and refreshing/topping up their water.
5. Plant tulip bulbs if they're still hanging about.
6. Don’t panic if you see spring bulb foliage appear, and be careful not to squash emerging shoots - many things are coming up early this year.
7. Order and continue to plant bare-root trees and shrubs.
8. Prune soft fruit bushes, e.g. currants and gooseberries.
9. Prune apples, pears and figs.
10. Force rhubarb under forces or deep buckets.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Gold Leaf Gloves

Produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've had some rough weather to start the winter, which is miserable enough for us, but spare a thought for the wild creatures in our garden that might have been unable to forage and find food. In this episode, Dan & Julia talk to Clare Carhill, founder of A Little Bird Co., about caring for birds during winter, with some surprising information about the threat caused by cats. Later in the show, they share tips about how you can take care of other animal visitors, too.

Jobs to do in the garden this fortnight

1. Make sure brassicas and taller plants are securely supported.
2. Firm back in plants that have rocked in the ground - use the heel of your boot and stake if necessary.
3. Brussel sprouts should be ready to harvest; pick from the bottom upwards.
4. Collect fallen debris and use any attractive foliage to decorate the house for Christmas.
5. Take hardwood cuttings.
6. Prune climbing roses.
7. Remove the lower leaves from hellebores to see the flowers more clearly when they emerge.
8. Do a health check on the greenhouse and house plants. Look for whiteflies and fungus gnats and treat them if necessary.
9. Sow sweet peas through to January.
10. Garlic should be planted on the shortest day, the 21st of December.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Gold Leaf Gloves
• Lettuce Publishing - use code Xmas 2024 to get a signed copy
• A Little Bird Co.

Produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To celebrate the season of plum puddings and cranberry sauce, Dan and Julia devote this episode to all things fruity. They reveal their favourite fruits and share tips on how to grow and use them. Dan describes one of his favourite tools for pruning fruit trees, and Julia delves deeper into the art of cultivating blueberries.

Listen to the end to hear Dan & Julia's list of jobs to do in the garden over the next fortnight and to find out where they'll be popping up in the run-up to Christmas.

Jobs to do in your garden this fortnight:

1. December is the last call for planting spring-flowering bulbs. It's a little late for everything other than tulips, but it's still worth getting bulbs in the ground or pots now rather than wasting them. 
2. Collect redundant bamboo canes and store them safely. Errant plant supports cause hundreds of accidents yearly, and the last thing anyone wants is to spend Christmas in A&E.
3. During cold weather, put out high-energy food and ensure animals can access fresh water. Cleanliness is vital for the health of garden birds, so it's a good time to start cleaning out bird boxes in readiness for the spring.
4. If it's grotty outside, or you haven't got the energy to move beyond the sofa, now's a great time to sort your seedbox, discarding any that are out of date (although they could still be worth trying) and making a note of new varieties you'd like to source. 
5. On fine, dry days, gather any remaining seed heads to provide decoration around the home or use them for making wreaths and garlands. 
6. Should it snow, shake the excess from trees and shrubs where the weight might cause branches to bend and break. Columnar (pillar-shaped) trees and topiary are particularly vulnerable. 
7. If you store tubers, fruit, and vegetables in a shed or garage, check them every fortnight to ensure there's no sign of mould, rot, or shrivelling. They should be firm to the touch with taught skin.
8. If you planted potatoes in anticipation of fresh spuds at Christmas, you should be able to start lifting them now. Main crop potatoes still in the ground can be dug as needed, but don't forget they are there as they'll begin to sprout as soon as the weather warms up in spring.
9. The wind is one of our greatest enemies. Firmly stake new trees and support or 'earth up' tall brassicas such as Brussels sprouts, kale and purple sprouting broccoli. 
10. Many of our greatest gardens put on spectacular light displays from now until early in the New Year. These events might not offer a complete escape from the madding crowd, but they highlight the magnificent structure of gardens we're used to seeing fully clothed. 

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Gold Leaf Gloves
• Lettuce Publishing - use code Xmas 2024 to get a signed copy
• Brenton Roberts on Instagram

Produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dan & Julia change their usual format to focus on Christmas gifting. They chat to Lucy Hutchings, co-founder of She Grows Veg, about her take on the traditional advent calendar and ask what she'd like to find in her stocking on Christmas morning. Later in the show, your hosts receive festive voice memos from some of their horticultural friends and heroes, discovering what's on their wish lists.

Our guests in this episode:

1. Lucy Hutchings, Co-Founder She Grows Veg - https://shegrowsveg.com/
2. Thordis Fridriksson, BBC Presenter and Podcaster - https://www.thordis.co.uk/, https://www.getgardeningnow.co.uk/talking-dirty
3. Alexandra Campbell, The Middle-Sized Garden - https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/
4. Pat Marsh, Presenter, BBC Radio Kent, Sussex and Surrey - http://www.patmarsh.com/
5. Steve Newland, Gardener and Allotment Holder - https://www.instagram.com/snewland97/
6. Nelly Hall, Creative Director at Alitex! - https://www.instagram.com/nellyatalitex/
7. Steve Edney, Gardener and co-owner of The No Name Nursery - https://www.thenonamenursery.co.uk/
8. Alex Mitchell, aka The Edible Gardener, Writer and Flower Farmer - https://alex-mitchell.co.uk/
9. Jamie Marsh, Allotmenteer, Writer and Podcaster - https://www.instagram.com/jamies_little_allotment/
10. Michael Perry, aka Mr PlantGeek, Presenter and Horticulturalist - https://mrplantgeek.com/
11. Phillipa Lepley - Couture Wedding Dress Designer - https://www.phillipalepley.com/
12. Barbara Segall, Editor, Garden Writer and Horticulturalist - https://thegardenpost.com/about-barbara-segall/
13. Charles Dowding - The God of No-Dig - https://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/
14. Jimi Blake - Plant nerd, Gardener and Custodian of Hunting Brook Gardens.https://www.huntingbrookgardens.com/

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Gold Leaf Gloves
• Scilly Flowers
• Milli | Proust

Produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dan & Julia dispel the myth that winter gardens must be devoid of colour. Your hosts choose their favourite flowering and foliage plants to display in pots during the colder months, from shrubs to tiny bulbs. Dan reveals why the Japanese 'leisure knife' we call a Hori Hori has taken the gardening world by storm, and Julia explains how and when to plant onion sets - be quick, as time is running out! Your hosts round off with a list of jobs you can do in your garden over the next fortnight:

1. Mulch around plants and over empty beds and borders. Over winter, worms will busily pull the organic matter into the soil, improving its structure. 
2. Collect leaves and add them to your compost heap, or pack them into jute sacks. They'll slowly decompose to make leaf mould, one of the most precious ingredients in good compost. Shredding them will make them break down faster.
3. Brush paths with coarse sand or use a jet washer to remove moss and algae, which can become slippery when wet or icy.
4. In exposed gardens, reduce the height of tall shrubs such as roses, buddleia, and lavatera to prevent them from rocking in high winds. For the same reason, newly planted trees should be staked low down.
5. Turn off the water supply to outdoor taps and drain hosepipes before storing them. Install a water butt if you need a ready supply of water over winter.
6. If you've experienced blight, black spot, rust, or mildew this season, removing and destroying any infected plant matter is essential. 
7. Cutting off this year's hellebore leaves is a good idea, allowing an uncluttered view of the nodding blooms in spring.
8. Take a walk around the garden and inspect large shrubs and trees, noting any branches that appear as if they might fall. Remove them yourself using loppers or a pruning saw if you feel able. Call an arborist for a second opinion and to carry out the work if in doubt. Do the same exercise for fences, garden buildings and ornamental structures, such as pergolas. 
9. Give the lawn one last cut, avoiding emerging bulbs - some early-flowering varieties can appear above ground well before Christmas.
10. Order and plant bare-rooted plants. This is one of the cheapest and most environmentally friendly ways to create a hedge, rose garden, orchard or woodland area. 

Dan's Products of the Episode—Niwaki's Japanese Hori Horis—are available to buy at most of his events. Click here for details.

Dan & Julia's Favourite Plants for Winter Containers:

1. Iris reticulata 'George', 'Spot On', 'Katherine Hodgkin', 'Blue Note'
2. Narcissus'  Rijnveld's Early Sensation'
3. Aconites
4. Galanthus nivalis (snowdrop)
5. Helleborus niger and Helleborus x sahinii 'Winterbells'
6. Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire' (dogwood_
7. Sarcococca confusa (winter box)
8. Skimmia japonica
9. Edgeworthia chrysantha (paper bush)
10. Carex oshimensis 'Evergold'

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Gold Leaf Gloves

Produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dan and Julia talk to Charlotte Molesworth at Balmoral Cottage, the garden she and her husband, Donald, have been creating for 42 years. Charlotte describes the art of making a garden from scratch and on a shoestring, rarely buying plants. Most of the trees and shrubs she has trained into birds, crowns, pyramids, mounds and spirals have been grown from cuttings or seedlings grubbed up or given by friends.

Charlotte also explains the legacy of 'Cherry' Ingram, the English country gentleman who found and reintroduced the Great White Cherry, Prunus 'Tai Haku', to Japan. Ingram once lived next door and led a particularly long and interesting life.

'Cherry' Ingram - The Englishman Who Saved Japan’s Blossoms - Naoko Abe

Listen carefully as Charlotte shares her wisdom and challenges Dan & Julia not to give up on beleaguered box.

Jobs to do in your garden this fortnight

1. Cut back the old stems of summer fruiting raspberries and tie in the new green stems.
2. Apply grease bands to the trunks of apple trees to deter winter moths.
3. Apply a winter wash to other fruit tree trunks.
4. Use a fork or spiked shoes to aerate the lawn to avoid water logging.
5. Reuse the compost from spent grow bags to grow some winter salad leaves.
6. Now is an excellent time to move plants, shrubs and trees,
7. Harvest pumpkins in time for Halloween.
8. Prune rambling and climbing roses now, removing old, tangled branches.
9. Apply a final biological spray to box, to eradicate box moth caterpillars.
10. Continue planting spring-flowering bulbs, and prepare to plant tulips from early November.

Dan's Products of the Episode:

• Niwaki Mini Shears
• Jakoti Hand Shears

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Gold Leaf Gloves
• European Boxwood & Topiary Society

Produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dan & Julia consider the gardening chores we could do less to free up time for new projects or relaxation. Dan explains why anvil secateurs are better for some pruning jobs and Julia shares how to sustain your crop of annual herbs into the late autumn and early winter. Your hosts round off with a list of jobs to do in your garden this fortnight and reveal what will keep them out of mischief until the next episode.

A few of Dan & Julia's time-saving measures:

• Not washing or sterilising pots.
• Not using crocks at the bottom of pots and containers.
• Not sowing seeds too early in the season.
• Using a mulch of bark, compost or grit to reduce watering time.
• Choosing shrubs that grow slowly and neatly and require little pruning.
• Selecting tried and tested plants that aren’t too fussy - an RHS Award of Garden Merit is a good sign that a plant won’t be too diva-ish!

Jobs to do in your garden this fortnight

1. Clear out greenhouses and clean the glass to let more light in.
2. Sow wildflower seeds.
3. Lift and divide dahlias after the first frost unless left in the ground, in which case cover them with mulch.
4. Compost or mulch empty beds - or still time to sow green manure.
5. Cut back asparagus fern when turning yellow.
6. Make a final cut to topiary and hedges before winter sets in - but it’s too late for most conifers now.
7. Clean and sterilise bird feeders before refilling with high-energy seeds.
8. Sow sweet peas and broad beans.
9. Stake sunflowers if they’re still blooming.
10. Reduce the height of any roses or perennials that might rock about in the wind.

Dan's Products of the Episode:

• Original LÖWE anvil secateurs

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Gold Leaf Gloves

Produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Two Good Gardeners return for a new series with an episode devoted to autumn seed sowing. Dan and Julia reveal which varieties you can plant right now for fabulous flowers and delicious edibles next year before sharing a list of jobs you can do in your garden during the second half of September. Your hosts announce a new sponsor—Gold Leaf Gloves—and celebrate with a giveaway: visit their Instagram account @twogoodgardeners for details. Closing date: Friday, 27th September 2024.

Julia's recommended crops for autumn sowing:

1. Carrots 'Nantes', 'Autumn King' and 'Parabel'
2. Broadbeans, 'Aquadulce' and 'The Sutton'
3. Lettuce 'Oak Leaf', 'All Year Round', Winter Density'
4. Parsley
5. Pea 'Meteor'
6. Radish 'Wintella', 'Sparkler'
7. Spring Onion 'White Lisbon'
8. Spinach 'Perpetual'
9. Pak Choi 'Red Choi', 'Glacier', 'Cholo F1'
10. Onion 'Red Baron', 'Electric', 'Snowball', 'Radar', 'Autumn Champion'
11. Shallot 'Jermor'

Dan's recommended flowers for autumn sowing:

1. Ammi majus
2. Cornflower
3. Corncockle
4. Calendula
5. Chrysanthemum carinatum
6. Linaria
7. Nigella
8. Poppy (corn and opium)
9. Phacelia
10. Antirrhinum
11. Anaethium
12. Eschscholzia
13. Cerinthe major 'Purpurascens'
14. Clarkia
15. Godetia

Requiring a cold spell - Rudbeckia, Monarda (bergamot), Orlaya, Echinacea, Eryngium (sea holly), Persicaria, Larkspur, Centaurea (Batchelors’ buttons)

Jobs to do in your garden this fortnight

1. Protect Brussels sprouts, kale and broccoli from birds, bugs & butterflies

2. Add compost to any beds you are clearing to improve soil structure and boost nutrients

3. Order tulips, but don’t be tempted to plant them until November

4. Plant narcissi, daffodils and alliums

5. Order indoor bulbs for forcing

6. Bring exotic/tender plants back into the greenhouse, conservatory or house when nighttime temperatures drop below 10ºC

7. Switch summer feed to winter feed for all citrus trees

8. Collect seeds from perennials

9. Lift, divide and replant large clumps of herbaceous perennials

Dan's Products of the Episode:

• Gold Leaf Gloves

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Gold Leaf Gloves

Produced by Scott Kennett at Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, the last in series three, Dan & Julia explain how to transform your garden into a tropical paradise using bold foliage, bright flowers and exciting edibles. They share tips on creating the perfect environment for exotics and some of their favourite plants to grow. You'll discover that anything is possible! As always, your hosts round off with a list of jobs you can do in your garden over the next fortnight and share what they’re up to over the coming weeks.

Two Good Gardeners will return for a fourth series in early autumn 2024.

Tender Plants for Exotic Effect:

• Banana (Musa and Ensete)
• Canna
• Ornamental ginger (Hedychium)
• Castor oil plant (Ricinus)
• Lantana
• AngelAngels'pets (Brugmansia)
• Tree ferns (Dicksonia and Cyathea)
• Taro (Colocasia and Alocasia)
• Gloriosa lily
• Papyrus (Cyperus)
• Begonia
• Coleus (Solenostemon)
• Persian shield (Strobilanthes)
• Caladium
• Chinese rice paper plant (Tetrapanax)

Hardier Plants with Exotic Looks:

• Alstroemeria
• Agapanthus
• Bistort (Persicaria)
• Fatsia
• Hosta
• Indian bean tree (Catalpa)
• Foxglove tree (Paulownia)
• Large-flowered clematis
• Reeds and grasses (Arundo and Miscanthus)
• Star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides)
• Rodgersia
• Ornamental rhubarb (Rheum)
• Waterlily
• Tuberous and bulbous plants such as Amaryllis, Amarine, Dahlia, oriental and trumpet lilies, Gladiolus and Nerine

Dan's Product of the Episode:

• Romney Marsh Wools Garden Kneeler Cushion

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Jungle Seeds

Produced by Scott Kennet at Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dan and Julia share tips for keeping your garden in top condition while you take a well-deserved summer break. Your hosts advise on preparing lawns, vegetable plots, containers, greenhouses, and houseplants before your holiday. Dan chooses his favourite tools for trimming hedges and cutting back early-flowering perennials, and, inspired by Wimbledon, Julia shares a money-saving trick for propagating new strawberry plants.

Dan & Julia's Pre-Holiday Checklist:

1. Check your home weather forecast before departure and plan accordingly.
2. Water everything thoroughly, especially container plants, camellias, rhododendrons, hydrangeas and houseplants.
3. Install a drip irrigation system or seeper hose - use a timer to save water and hassle.
4. Cut and edge lawns - but not too short if hot weather is predicted.
5. Weed everywhere.
6. Guard against pest damage by laying traps, using nets and maintaining good ventilation.
7. Support tall and heavily laden plants with canes or stakes.
8. Pick open flowers, ripening fruit and vegetables - give them away or preserve them for later.
9. Move outdoor pots into the shade and houseplants out of the full sun
10. Top-up ponds and birdbaths and provide water for pollinating insects
11. Secure valuables in sheds or move them into a locked garage

And remember, if your garden looks a little shaggy when you return, it will be superficial and can quickly be fixed.

Dan's Product Picks:

• Niwaki Shears
• Niwaki Mini Shears
• Jakoti Hand Shears
• Grow Bag Trays for keeping houseplants moist while away.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Produced by Scott Kennet at Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dan & Julia celebrate the rose, Britain's most popular flowering plant. With so many species and varieties available to buy, there's a rose for every garden, but the choice can be bewildering - your hosts share their favourites for containers, walls, banks, wild areas and coastal gardens. Dan highlights his favourite tools and gloves for maintaining roses, and Julia explains how and why you should condition cut roses and other flowers before displaying them indoors. As always, your hosts supply a list of jobs you can do in your garden over the next fortnight.

Dan & Julia's Rose Picks

Climbers and Ramblers - 'Albertine', 'Masquerade', 'Bobby James', 'New Dawn', 'Buff Beauty', 'American Pillar Rose', 'Paul's Himalayan Musk', banksia 'Lutea', laevigata 'Cooperii'

Hybrid Teas - 'Peace', 'Fragrant Cloud', 'Just Joey'.

For Wild Areas - 'Canary Bird', x odorata 'Mutabilis', x odorata 'Bengal Crimson'.

For Coastal Gardens - rugosa 'Hansa', pimpinellifolia 'Dunwich Rose'.

For Ground Cover - 'The Fairy', 'Grouse 2000', 'Partridge', 'Magic Carpet'.

For Pots - 'Boscobel', 'Blue for You', 'Pearl Drift', 'Gabriel Oak'.

For Borders - 'Queen of Sweden'.

Dan's Product Picks:

1. Mainichi Snips - perfect for picking and pruning roses
2. Opinel No.12 Pruning Saw - ideal for tackling rampant ramblers
3. Gold Leaf Tough Touch Gloves - to protect your hands and wrists from thorns and prickles

Gardening Jobs for the Fortnight Ahead:

1. Mist houseplants with rainwater to keep the humidity up and ward off red spider mites.
2. If you're going on holiday, arrange for a friend or neighbour to take care of the watering.
3. Water and feed tomatoes, cucumbers and aubergines regularly. Irregular watering can cause the fruits to split.
4. Watch out for vine weevils in potted plants. The telltale signs are little notches in the leaf edges.
5. Keep deadheading all flowering plants and feed with a high potash fertiliser to keep the blooms coming.
6. Divide bearded irises and replant so the rhizome is exposed on the soil surface.
7. Trim vigorous climbers such as vines, jasmine, honeysuckle and wisteria if they get unruly. Prune rambling roses after flowering, removing about a third of the flowered stems.
8. Harvest courgettes and beans regularly - daily if possible so they aren't watery or tough.
9. Harvest garlic as soon as the leaves turn yellow and start to wither.
10. Keep birdbaths and ponds topped up with water - rainwater if you can, but small amounts of tap water are better than no water.
11. Thin out parsnips and carrots. You can't replant the thinnings, so eat them lightly steamed. They are delicious.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Produced by Scott Kennet at Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan and Julia delve into the subtle, little-understood subject of companion planting, revealing which plants get along well and which really don’t! Dan describes three fantastic new tools that have just joined his Signature range, and Julia explains the Three Sisters method of growing beans, squash, and sweetcorn together.

Dan & Julia's Favourite Plant Companions:

1. Plant basil near or at the base of tomatoes to ward off white fly
2. Grow nasturtiums as sacrificial plants to attract black fly
3. Position French marigolds attract aphids from cucumbers and runner beans
4. Tansy deters ants due to its spreading nature underground and planted under fruit trees; it helps deter flies. (It is, however, toxic to pets.)
5. Plant strong-smelling herbs such as sage and parsley to keep aphids away
6. Black mint or Hucatay, Tagetes minuta is part of the marigold family. It is an excellent companion plant for greenhouse veggies such as cucumbers, chillies, tomatoes, peppers and aubergines. The pungent smell helps repel and confuse insect pests through the flowers and leaves and releases anti-nematode compounds into the soil. 
7. Grow strawberries beneath grape vines as they succumb to vine weevils first, giving you a fighting chance to save your grapes. Strawberries also indicate if scale insects are a problem on vines by getting covered in sooty mould first.
8. Grow chamomile amongst other plants to keep fungus, mildew, mould and blight away.
9. Plant onions or garlic between carrot rows to deter carrot root flies.
10. Grow lavender alongside carrots and/or leeks. The scent attracts many pollinators and keeps pests at bay.
11. Plant borage and strawberries together - borage attracts pollinators and has a mild cucumber scent; this will help keep predators off the strawberries and improve their flavour.
12. Plant calendula with courgettes as the calendula protects the courgettes from slugs and snails, in theory!

Dan's Product Picks:

1. Signature T-handle Spade - perfect for border work, planting roses and perennials
2. Signature T-handle Fork - great for working on your hands and knees in beds.
3. Signature Japanese Weeding Hoe - great for weeding raised beds.

Gardening Jobs for the Fortnight Ahead:

• Make a final sowing of summer annuals like cosmos and zinnias.
• Sow biennials, including sweet williams, foxgloves, hesperis, honesty, stocks and wallflowers.
• Sow broccoli, kale, spinach, and a final batch of runner and French beans.
• Don’t let containers dry out - bright and breezy weather dehydrates plants very quickly.
• Deadhead roses to keep them neat and tidy and encourage further flushes of flowers.
• Pinch out dahlias, fuchsias and coleus to encourage bushy growth.
• Give wisteria its summer prune, cutting all the long side shoots back to 20cm.
• Prune late-spring or early-summer shrubs after flowering, thinning out the flowered stems.
• Install a water butt if you don’t already have one.
• Harvest salads regularly.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Produced by Red Lighthouse Local

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dan & Julia reflect on this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, sharing features that impressed them and those that left them wanting more. Dan highlights two ways to keep bugs at bay, which are chemical and plastic-free, while Julia shares family-friendly tips for growing vegetables in recycled containers. As always, your hosts offer their suggestions of jobs to do in your garden over the next fortnight and reveal where they’re popping up next!

Dan's products of the week:

Bugnet - Bug Killer Spray Concentrate

Insectonet - Plastic-Free Insect Net

Buy Julia's book, 'The Little Grower's Cookbook' at Lettuce Publishing.

Garden Jobs for the Week

1. Support herbaceous plants in borders. 
2. Harvest early potatoes, usually when they are in flower.
3. Start making your own plant food using nettles, comfrey or seaweed soaked in a bucket.
4. Pinch outside shoots on cordon tomatoes and tie into canes.
5. Plant out sweet corn and continue to successionally sow salad crops.
6. Net strawberries and other soft fruit crops to keep birds off.
7. Sow runner beans.
8. Be on guard for slugs and snails and treat accordingly.
9. Spray box moth caterpillars every few weeks on a dry day; they are highly prevalent at present.
10. Evict exotic plants from house and greenhouse.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch

This podcast was produced by the brilliant Scott Kennett of Red Lighthouse Local https://linktr.ee/redlocallighthouse

The episode was sponsored by Dan Cooper Garden, where garden lovers go to find outstanding garden products, sage advice, and abundant inspiration. You can shop online at dancoopergarden.com or plant fairs and garden events across the south and east of England.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Occasionally, your hosts like to explore a garden in depth ..... and have a good old natter. In this episode, Dan and Julia revisit Sissinghurst Castle, starting in an area of the garden known as Delos. Recently resurrected after a long spell in the doldrums, they consider the challenges of recreating a slice of ancient Greece in Kent. Back in the studio, they each share five ways that Sissinghurst inspired them. Dan reveals his current 'must have' garden tool and shares exciting news about new product launches. Julia talks about an alternative method of training and pruning her fig tree. As usual, Dan and Julia finish off with a list of essential jobs to do in your garden over the next two weeks and tell you where they'll be popping up next.

Jobs for the fortnight

1. Finish hardening off annuals and tender perennials
2. If all danger of frost has passed, start planting containers and hanging baskets
3. Prune forsythia, flowering currant and Japanese quince
4. Take cuttings of woody herbs such as hyssop, rosemary and thyme. 
5. Tie in wisteria, honeysuckle, passionflower and clematis to keep them from wandering in their own direction. 
6. Pheromone traps can be hung in apple and plum trees and box hedges to control pests like codling and box moths.
7. Indoors, take stem cuttings from tradescantias, coleus, plectranthus, impatiens and pothos and root them in water.
8. Damp down greenhouse paths on hot days to increase humidity
9. Take the opportunity to clean garden furniture, jet wash patios and scrub barbecues.
10. Settle down and watch the BBC coverage of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show - you'll have the best seat in the house.

Dan's product of the week:

Niwaki Japanese Weeding Hoe: https://www.dancoopergarden.com/products/niwaki-weeding-hoe

Dan's upcoming events:

Sunday, 19th May - Rare Plant Fair at The American Museum in Bath

Sunday, 26th May - Rare Plant Fair at Kingston Bagpuize House, Oxfordshire

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch

This podcast was produced by the brilliant Scott Kennett of Red Lighthouse Local https://linktr.ee/redlocallighthouse

The episode was sponsored by Dan Cooper Garden, where garden lovers go to find outstanding garden products, sage advice, and abundant inspiration. You can shop online at dancoopergarden.com or plant fairs and garden events across the south and east of England.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dan and Julia discuss whether no-mow May is good for our gardens and discover the many magical properties of copper tools. Julia advises on how to look after tomato plants while waiting for the weather to warm up, and Dan highlights Calycanthus, aka Carolina allspice, an increasingly popular shrub that produces exotic-looking flowers and a culinary spice.

The pros and cons of not mowing in May

Pros:

• Reduces time spent mowing
• Requires no fertilisers, pesticides or watering 
• Allows some wildflowers to bloom freely
• Encourages insects, birds and mammals that like to shelter or feed in longer grass
• It can look attractive and even romantic
• It Increases the cooling of the surrounding air and locks up more carbon dioxide than short grass

Cons:

• It may take a while to restore the neat appearance of a lawn, depending on the weather in June
• Reduces space to play and walk in a small space.
• It doesn’t increase biodiversity long-term. It's a gesture rather than a long-term commitment.
• It may increase the number of weeds, especially dandelions, that appear in adjacent beds and borders.
• Some birds, insects and flowers prefer a habitat with shorter grass.

Our conclusion - a mix of grass lengths maintained all year round is probably better than not mowing for a month. However, No Mow May is a good reminder to take steps to balance what we need from our gardens against what wildlife needs.

Jobs to do in your garden this fortnight

1. Tie in sweet peas
2. Deadhead tulips
3. Sow runner and French beans
4. Continue to sow salads, radish, and beetroot for succession crops
5. Continue to earth up potatoes to protect from frost
6. Place citrus trees outside in a sheltered spot
7. Net gooseberries & strawberries as fruit forms to keep birds off
8. Watch out for lily beetles and remove them fast!
9. Ventilate greenhouses
10. Pinch out growing tips on broad beans when 3-4 ft tall

Dan's upcoming events:

Saturday, 4th May - Plant Fair and Open Garden at Saltwood Castle near Hythe, Kent

Sunday, 5th May - Chiswick Flower Market, London

Monday, 6th May - Spring Plant Fair at Belmont House, Throwley, near Faversham, Kent

Sunday, 12th May - Rare Plant Fair at Salthrop House, near Swindon, Wiltshire

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first episode of the new series of Two Good Gardeners, Dan and Julia debate whether it's worth saving your own seeds and throw a spotlight on wool, the secret ingredient our gardens have been crying out for. Julia shares her top tips for growing lemongrass to fill your kitchen with oriental flavours, and Dan waxes lyrical about hostas, the foliage plant we'd all love to love if slugs and snails didn't love them more! As always, your hosts round off with a list of things to do in your garden over the next fortnight and news of where you can find or hear them next.

Jobs for your garden this fortnight:

1. Plant out hardened-off sweet peas.
2. Deadhead daffodils and other spring-flowering bulbs.
3. Put in supports for perennials and climbers before they get too large.
4. Lift and divide hostas and other perennials you’d like more of.
5. Protect fruit blossoms from late frosts.
6. Feed citrus with summer feed.
7. Plant out second-early potatoes.
8. Sow carrots, beetroot, chard, spinach, salads, radish & peas.
9. Watch out for box moth caterpillars and treat them if necessary.
10. Ventilate greenhouses on sunny days.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the final episode of Series 2, Dan & Julia reflect on the many highlights of a busy and eventful year and share their New Year's resolutions.

They'll return with Series 3 in spring 2024. If you've enjoyed Series 2, then click follow on your favourite podcast platform, so you're notified when new episodes are launched. Leaving a rating or writing a review will help us know what you like and how we can do better in future.

The book 'The Secret Gardens of Cornwall', which Dan talks about, is available from Waterstones. Sussex gardens are covered in 'Secret Gardens of the South East' by our friend Barbara Segall (which we really should have remembered!), also available from Waterstones.

Your hosts wish you a very Happy New Year and look forward to entertaining you again soon.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Alitex Modern Victorian Greenhouses

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christmas is a frenetic season when time and budgets are often overstretched. With less time to focus on living sustainably, how can we make the best environmental choices, especially when they're not always obvious? Talking as amateur gardeners, Dan & Julia discuss some of the options and reveal surprising facts - did you know, for example, that burning a real Christmas tree on a bonfire is far more sustainable than putting it out for collection and composting?

Julia shares how much of her Christmas lunch she grows herself (prepare to be impressed), while Dan divulges how he keeps his dinner candles upright using a flower frog - watch him do it here.

Your hosts wish all their listeners a very happy Christmas and a fruitful New Year 🎄 They'll be returning soon with a review of 2023, when they'll also share their resolutions for 2024.

Useful links:

Dan's guide to choosing the perfect real Christmas tree (and disposing of it!)

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Alitex Modern Victorian Greenhouses

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Owning a greenhouse is a luxury and privilege many gardeners dream of. In this special episode, recorded at Torberry Farm in Hampshire, Dan and Julia meet Nelly Hall, Brand Director at Alitex, to discover how to make the most of a greenhouse all year round. As the year draws to a close, Nelly explains how to use a greenhouse to prepare plants for Christmas and get an early start on spring, learning the importance of light and heat. Moving on to summer, we learn about ventilation, maintaining humidity and keeping pests under control before coming full circle to autumn for Nelly's tips on good glasshouse hygiene.

Nelly's top greenhouse gardening tips

1. Good light in a greenhouse is as essential as heat to keep plants compact and healthy.
2. Buy the biggest greenhouse you can - no one ever wishes they'd bought a smaller model!
3. Think carefully about how you want to use your greenhouse to maximise the space and create the right growing conditions.
4. Instal power in your greenhouse, even if you have no immediate plans. It gives you options in future.
5. Consider using solar power to reduce energy costs.
6. Make space for a chair and table so that you have somewhere to take time out and enjoy.
7. Keep sacks of compost in the greenhouse over winter so it doesn't freeze and remains usable in cold weather.
8. Play with a greenhouse to bring forward flowering and cropping to extend the growing season.
9. Use the winter months, when there's less to do, to experiment by taking cuttings and making compost.
10. Be vigilant and don't allow pests to take control - good hygiene is essential in an enclosed space.
11. Don't over-sow and stagger your seed planting to avoid waste.
12. Vents between a greenhouse and a cold frame can help keep a cold frame warmer.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Alitex Modern Victorian Greenhouses

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the days get shorter and the nights colder, it's time to bite the bullet and protect your tender plants from the cold, wet and wind. Dan explains how to tackle different groups of plants, from annuals to evergreens, and Julia shares advice on keeping herbs, citrus, ginger, chillies and pineapples happy until spring.

Your hosts anticipate the outcome of the Garden Media Guild Awards, where Two Good Gardeners has been shortlisted (see below if you want to know the result) and look forward to visiting their sponsor, Alitex, so record a special episode which will air before Christmas.

Julia offers advice on growing garlic from shop-bought or own-grown cloves, and Dan reveals a new Christmas trend - including seeds in your Christmas cards.

Dan's guide to overwintering tender plants: https://www.dancoopergarden.com/blogs/advice-inspiration/how-to-protect-tender-plants-over

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Alitex Modern Victorian Greenhouses
• Alitex Events

*our congratulations to Gardens Illustrated, who won the category for best podcast or radio broadcast.

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In episode 4, Dan and Julia offer advice on filling your home with plants and flowers this Christmas, including how to force bulbs and buy and care for seasonal plants such as poinsettia and cyclamen. Julia explains how to grow a crop of spuds for your Christmas dinner, and Dan shares his favourite garden-inspired Christmas decorations. Julia champions the humble beetroot (pickling recipe below), and Dan is elated that others are finally joining his crusade to revive the much-maligned chrysanthemum.

Julia's recipe for pickled beetroot, adapted from a recipe by Clodagh Mckenna 

Ingredients

• 6 small beetroot 
• 4 sprigs of thyme 
• 160 ml white wine vinegar 
• 150 ml cold water 
• 110 g caster sugar ( Suggest adding 90 g, then taste if you want it sweeter, add the rest) ½ tsp mustard seeds 
• ½ tsp black peppercorns 
• ½ tsp sea salt 

Method

1. Cook the beetroot in a saucepan covered with cold water for 30-40 mins or until tender. Drain and refresh under cold water. 
2. Peel the beets and cut them into small wedges. 
3. Place in sterilized jars 
4. Put the thyme, vinegar, caster sugar, mustard seeds, peppercorns, sea salt and 150ml cold water in a saucepan and heat until all has dissolved. 
5. Pour this vinegar mixture over the beetroot and allow to cool completely. 
6. Seal and store in the fridge for up to one year. 

Dan's favourite chrysanthemums:

• 'Dixter Orange' - very early, starting late June / early July and over by September - completely self-supporting and makes a terrific low hedge.
• 'Percy Salter' - the colour of a well-baked custard cream, pretty and long-lasting.
• 'EH Wilson' - produces delicate sprays of butter-yellow single flowers.
• 'Breitner's Supreme' - lax form with white daisy-like blooms - use to flop over other plants.
• 'Burnt Orange' - fiery orange quilled petals that are yellow inside.
• 'Dulwich Pink' - neat and smothered with cranberry red flowers in November.

Dan's Christmas decorations - https://www.dancoopergarden.com/collections/christmas

Dan & Julia's jobs for the next fortnight

1. Start planting tulip bulbs and indoor bulbs to be forced.
2. Keep gutters clear of leaves and moss.
3. Gather fallen leaves and store them in hessian bags to break down into leafmould.
4. Clean bird feeders thoroughly before filling them with fresh seed.
5. Sow sweet peas, broad beans, peas, radishes and rocket.
6. Cut away the old stems of autumn-fruiting raspberries, blackberries and loganberries.
7. Reduce excessive top growth to prevent wind damage.
8. Plant up, tidy and wash greenhouses and clear benches.
9. Continue to mow lawns but on dry days.
10. Visit arboreta to enjoy the blazing autumn colours.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Alitex Modern Victorian Greenhouses

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 3, Dan and Julia mull the merits of putting your garden to bed for winter, sharing tips on preparing for windy weather and making space for tender plants that need protection from the cold. Julia chooses chillies for her 'top of the crops' slot and explains how to take cuttings from herb plants, while Dan offers advice on choosing and planting tulips, throwing the spotlight on three of his favourite bulb-planting tools.

Julia's top chillies: 'Cayenne', 'Longhorn', 'Basket of Fire' (bush and yellow-green and red small chillies), 'Sigaretta di Bergamo' (suitable for decoration and it's not too hot), 'Habanero', 'Tokyo Hot'.

Dan's most perennial tulips: 'Apeldoorn' (red), 'Golden Apeldoorn' (yellow), 'Apeldoorn's Elite' (yellow and orange), 'Pink Impression', 'Apricot Impression', 'Spring Green' (white and green), 'Flaming Spring Green' (red, white and green), 'Artist' (peach and green), 'Queen of Night' (inky purple) and 'Negrita' (smoky purple pink), Tulipa kaufmanniana, Tulipa greigii, Tulipa tarda, Tulipa turkestanica and Tulipa praestans.

Dan's top bulb-planting tools: Dutch trowel, Tulip trowel, Barrel bulb planter

Dan & Julia's jobs for the next fortnight

1. Order and plant onion sets and garlic bulbs
2. Order tulip bulbs for planting next month
3. Remove spent tomato plants - burn them if you spot any signs of blight
4. Sow more salads, fennel and beetroot for late crops in a greenhouse or undercover
5. Take cuttings of herbs and salvias
6. Clean greenhouse benches and glazing as crops die back
7. Make space in sheds and garages for plants that will need winter protection. Don't wait until the evening before the first frost
8. Last spray of the season for box moth caterpillars; you won't see them until next May with any luck.
9. Pick dahlias regularly, as they'll soon become pale and feeble.
10. Take cuttings of plectrathus and coleus while the weather is still mild.
11. Pick and store apples when they're dry and blemish-free - many varieties will keep for weeks or even months
12. Keep an eye out in the hedgerows for sloes that can be steeped in gin to make a delicious winter warmer.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Alitex Modern Victorian Greenhouses

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a break from their standard format, Dan & Julia chat about how they began gardening, reminisce about their first gardens and recall the gardens and gardeners that inspired them.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Middle-Sized Garden You Tube Channel
• Alitex Modern Victorian Greenhouses
• Alitex Adventures In Flowers Workshop

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As summer eases into autumn, our gardens reach a colourful crescendo. In this episode, Dan & Julia share their favourite flowers and crops for extending the season, taking inspiration from their gardens and visits to Great Dixter, Sussex Prairies, East Ruston Old Vicarage and Doddington Place.

Julia offers advice on autumn sowing and shares her top of the crops - delicious, juicy figs. Dan describes his new range of flower bowls and explains how to keep dahlias healthy and blooming for as long as possible.

Find Julia's favourite fig recipe here.

Explore Dan's collection of flower bowls here.

This fortnight's jobs to do in the garden:

1. Order onion sets.
2. Order tulip bulbs.
3. Keep watering and feeding pots and containers.
4. Harvest courgettes regularly.
5. Remove leaves on grape vines and figs, allowing more sunlight to ripen the fruits.
6. Sow salads, fennel and beetroot for late crops in a greenhouse or under cover.
7. Take cuttings - it's an ideal time for figs, hydrangeas, lavender, rosemary, salvias and coleus.
8. Order indoor bulbs for Christmas forcing.
9. Remove shading or netting in greenhouses as the light starts to diminish.
10. Keep looking for box moth caterpillars and spray or pick them off.

Dan & Julia's top plants for early autumn colour:

1. Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’
2. Rudbeckia triloba' Prairie Glow'
3. Rudbeckia laciniata 'Herbstsonne'
4. Helianthus' Monarch'
5. Helianthus 'Velvet Queen'
6. Heliopsis helianthoides ‘Bleeding Hearts’
7. Cosmos bipinnatus 'Double Click Cranberry'
8. Ratibida columnifera ‘Red Midget’
9. Eutrochium maculatum (Atropurpureum Group) 'Riesenschirm'
10. Althaea cannabina
11. Aster x frikartii 'Mönch'
12. Eurybia divaricata
13. Vernonia arkansana 'Mammuth'
14. Anemone japonica
15. Hydrangea "Annabelle"

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Alitex Modern Victorian Greenhouses
• Alitex Adventures In Flowers Workshop

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The gardens at Great Dixter are famed across the globe for their exuberance, colour and intimacy. Driven by a sense of adventure and a mission to help others get involved in horticulture, Fergus Garrett has built on the legacy of his friend and mentor, Christopher Lloyd, never allowing Dixter to stand still and delighting thousands of visitors every season.

In mid-August 2023, Julia and I were lucky enough to grab half an hour with Fergus to get his tips on late summer colour, discover his desert island plants and understand what he looks for in a plant when choosing what to grow. We cover a lot of ground, and Fergus is as generous with his knowledge as his time. Make sure you listen right to the very end, as there are gems throughout!

If you enjoy this episode, be sure to follow us on your favourite podcast platform and leave us a rating and review. We'll be back in September with a brand-new series!

https://www.greatdixter.co.uk/

https://www.dancoopergarden.com/

https://www.parkers-patch.com/

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In the final episode of this series, Dan and Julia share tips for adapting your garden to cope with hotter, drier summers. Julia offers advice on getting your plot holiday-ready, and Dan showcases a product that can act as a mulch, fertiliser and slug deterrent. This episode's drought-proof 'top of the crops' is the stately artichoke, and Dan chooses salvias as his sun-loving 'pick of the bunch'.

Your hosts return in late summer / early autumn for Series 2 and would love to hear about any topics you'd like to be featured.

Want to know more? Here are this episode's show notes:

• Dan's guide to creating a drought-tolerant garden
• Dan's guide to preparing your garden for the summer holidays
• Dan's guide to watering wisely

Julia's recommended artichoke varieties: 'Green Globe', 'Purple Globe', 'Romanesco'.

Note that cardoons (Cynara cardunculus) are a close relative of the artichoke (Cynara scolymus). Cardoons are grown for their edible stalks rather than their flowers. The cardoon is much more cold-tolerant as well.

Dan's recommended salvia varieties: 'Hot Lips' - red and white; 'Nachtvlinder' - inky purple; 'Royal Bumble - bright red; 'Trellisick Creamy Yellow'; 'Jemima's Gem' - cerise; 'Amistad' - purple; 'Blue Suede Shoes' - dusky pale blue; 'Amante' - pink.

Jobs to do in your garden this fortnight:

1. Find someone to water your garden if you plan a holiday this month or next.
2. Sow salad leaves, turnips, French beans, spring cabbages, chicory, kohlrabi, dill, coriander and parsley.
3. Take Cuttings of hydrangeas, lavender, rosemary, salvias, penstemon, mint, thyme and sage.
4. Plant autumn-flowering bulbs such as colchicums, autumn crocuses, cyclamen and nerines.
5. Prune early spring flowering shrubs, rhododendrons, camellias and magnolias, conifers, plums, cherries, damsons and wisteria.
6. Harvest courgettes, calabrese, French beans, Swiss chard, lettuce, mint, parsley, radish, beetroot, carrots, spinach, spring cabbage, spring onion, garlic, onions, globe artichokes, strawberries, raspberries and loganberries.
7. Pick sweet peas, roses, zinnias, cosmos, gladioli, dahlias, lilies, carnations and pinks.
8. Buy reduced perennials in your local garden centre - trim back, plant out and water thoroughly to encourage lush new growth. Stock up on plant food.
9. Enjoy a stroll around the garden or a moment on your balcony after sundown.
10. Visit open gardens across the country, especially those with herbaceous borders. The RHS holds shows at Hampton Court and Tatton Park in Cheshire this month.

Website links:

• Dan Cooper Garden
• Parker's Patch
• Alitex Modern Victorian Greenhouses
• Middleton Nurseries - salvia specialists
• Dyson's Nurseries - salvia specialists

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