Gardening with the RHS

Latest Episodes:

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025 May 21, 2025

Show notes

Step into the bloom of RHS Chelsea 2025! In this special episode, we delve into the standout themes, emerging trends, and — of course — the spectacular plants that define this year’s show. Journey with us from Scotland’s wild coastal landscapes to the dappled canopies of urban forests, as we meet the visionary designers behind 2025’s most breathtaking gardens. We’ll also shine a spotlight on the real stars of the show: the plants themselves — and the groundbreaking breeders competing for the prestigious RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year award.

Hosts: Jenny Laville, Gareth Richards, Tom Howard, James Armitage

Links:

Chelsea Flower Show tickets

Chelsea Flower Show gardens

Chelsea Plant of the Year

RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival

RHS Flower Show Wentworth Woodhouse

Moths, Meadows and Mischievous Mutts May 15, 2025

Show notes

Biodiverse spaces are important not only for healthy ecosystems but they also bring tangible benefits for our mental wellness as well. Unfortunately new data shows that some of our most loved garden visitors – the Lepidoptera, or butterflies and moths – are in alarming decline. We’ll be finding out from Dr Richard Fox, Head of Science at Butterfly Conservation, how gardeners can give them the boost they need. Ed Cooper from the trials team down at RHS Garden Wisley shows us another way of welcoming in not only butterflies and moths, but a whole host of other wildlife as well, with advice on sowing annual and perennial wildflower meadows. And finally, we find out how to maximise our outdoor spaces for our four legged friends, with Lead Horticulturist Dawn Grehan, at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.

Host: Gareth Richards

Contributors: Dr Richard Fox, Ed Cooper, Dawn Grehan

Links:

Butterfly Conservation

Butterfly recording and monitoring

RHS Plants for Pollinators

RHS Chelsea Flower Show

How to create a pet-friendly garden

Potentially harmful garden plants

Plant Health Week - Get Your Garden Thriving May 08, 2025

Show notes

It’s Plant Health Week, and we’re celebrating with expert tips to keep your garden thriving. RHS Plant Health Advisor Helen Latham will be sharing practical advice to help your plants stay strong and resilient. Meanwhile, Nick Turrell returns to shine a light on the unsung heroes of the garden — weeds! Last week, he turned a common garden nuisance into a delicious, nutrient-rich summer salad. Today, he’s back with another surprising use for those persistent plants — and a fresh perspective on why they might deserve a second chance. Plus, as gardens burst into bloom, your questions have been flooding in. We’ve handed a few over to the RHS Garden Advisory Team to get the expert answers you’ve been looking for.

Host: Jenny Laville

Contributors: Helen Latham, Nick Turrell, James Lawrence, Chris Taylor

Links:

Plant health in gardens

Previous episode on plant health and passports with Dario Spagnoli

May Day, Welcoming in Warmer Weather May 01, 2025

Show notes

This May Day we’re embracing new growth in the garden — even from the unexpected plants that pop up on their own! Nick Turrell from the RHS Gardening Advice Team will be shining a spotlight on one so-called ‘weed’ that’s actually packed with nutrients — a perfect addition to your summer salads. Liz Mooney from the edibles team at RHS Garden Wisley is back to share her top tips for growing beans — whether broad, runner, or French. And horticulturist Alessandra Sana will be diving into the crowning jewel of any summer pond: the glorious, timeless waterlily.

Host: Guy Barter

Contributors: Nick Turrell, Liz Mooney, Alessandra Sana

Links:

How to grow broad beans

How to grow runner beans

How to grow French beans

How to grow waterlilies

Spring in Full Swing Apr 24, 2025

Show notes

Spring is stretching its limbs, and the garden is stirring to life. As the days grow longer and begin to warm, there’s a tangible energy in the air – a heady mix of birdsong, budding leaves, and the unmistakable scent of fresh soil and blossoms. This week horticulturist Liz Mooney will be sharing her expert tips on getting the best from beetroot, turnips and parsnips – perfect for anyone looking to grow a productive plot from the ground up. The RHS Gardening Advice Team will also be joining us to answer your most frequently asked questions this month, and Elizabeth Medal of Honour winner Clare Hermans will be sharing her enduring fascination with Madagascan orchids and the stories behind these rare and remarkable plants.

Host: Gareth Richards

Contributors: Liz Mooney, James Lawrence, Chris Taylor, Nick Turrell, Clare Hermans

Links:

Previous episode on growing potatoes with Liz Mooney

Previous episode on growing tomatoes with Liz Mooney

RHS Gardening Advice

Earth Day Special Apr 17, 2025

Show notes

As gardeners, we understand the deep connection between people and the planet. The choices we make in our own green spaces – no matter how small – can ripple outward, creating real impact. This Earth Day, ecological home grower Poppy Okotcha invites us into her world of regenerative gardening. Dr. Hayley Jones explores how welcoming all creatures – even the less popular ones – can nurture a thriving, balanced ecosystem. And campaigner Russell Ball shows us simple, powerful ways to give our urban trees the care and attention they deserve.

Host: Jenny Laville

Contributors: Poppy Okotcha, Dr Hayley Jones, Russell Ball

Links:

A Wilder Way: How Gardens Grow Us

Poppy Okotcha

RHS Slugs: Friend or Foe?: Know Your Slugs and Learn to Live With Them

How to stop slugs and snails: what works?

Slugs and Snails advice

Strangling Tree Ties #FreeTheTree

Fund4Trees

Dark Corners, Bright Ideas Apr 10, 2025

Show notes

We start this week with a journey back in time, exploring some of the oldest and most resilient plants on the planet: ferns. Gardener, botanist and author Ben Dark has been uncovering some surprising stories about these living fossils as part of his sweeping journey – 2.5 billion years deep – into the fascinating history of plants. Ferns thrive in damp, shady garden corners — but they’re not the only ones. Horticulturist Alessandra Sana faced this exact challenge when she took on the north-facing wall of RHS Wisley’s walled garden. She shares her go-to plants and creative inspiration for transforming those tricky, low-light spots into lush, green sanctuaries. And finally, we cross the Atlantic to hear from John Sonnier, Head Gardener at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. His pioneering sustainable gardening practices have just earned him the prestigious Elizabeth Medal of Honour from the RHS.

Host: Guy Barter

Contributors: Ben Dark, Alessandra Sana, John Sonnier

Links:

The Grove: A Nature Odyssey in 19 ½ Front Gardens

Shade planting: annuals, bulbs and perennials

What can I grow in a dry shady spot?

Sustainable planting combinations: shade collection

RHS People Awards

The Gardener’s April Checklist: Spuds and Summer Bulbs Apr 03, 2025

Show notes

April is in full bloom, and with it comes a gardener’s to-do list bursting with promise! This week, Liz Mooney from RHS Garden Wisley shares expert tips on growing a bumper potato crop, while Guy Barter reveals how to plant summer bulbs for a dazzling display. Plus, we celebrate horticultural excellence with Victoria Medal of Honour recipient Martyn Rix, reflecting on a lifetime dedicated to plants.

Links:

How to grow potatoes

RHS People Awards

RHS Grow Your Own

How to be a Hoverfly Hero Mar 27, 2025

Show notes

This week we’re finding out how to be a hoverfly hero. These masters of mimicry are vitally important pollinators, decomposers, and aphid predators, but their populations are in steep decline in the UK. RHS entomologist Josie Stuart will be telling us more about these garden friends, and how we as gardeners can help. Keeping our gardens blooming for as long as possible is a great help for all our pollinators and Cosmos shows off its delicate flowers all the way from late summer through to the first frosts of autumn. We’ll speak to National Collection holder Jonathon Sheppard for his recommendations of the best cultivars to try this year. And from one remarkable collection to another – Sarah Cook has dedicated years to researching and reviving the lost irises of Cedric Morris. These striking blooms, once thought to survive only in his famous paintings, have been brought back to life thanks to her tireless work in the RHS archives and in Cedric’s garden at Benton End.

Host: Jenny Laville

Contributors: Josie Stuart, Jonathan Sheppard, Sarah Cook

Links:

Be a hoverfly hero

Help hoverflies: 5 top plants and 5 fun facts

What are hoverflies?

Read Jonathan’s cosmos and hollyhock blog

British cosmos (seed sales)

Plant Heritage, home of the National Plant Collections

Benton End

The Nurture Landscapes Garden at Chelsea Flower Show

RHS People Awards

Tasty Toms, Hydrangeas & Bokashi Mar 20, 2025

Show notes

Spring is in the air, and it’s time to get your hands dirty! This week, we’re diving into the juicy world of tomatoes with Liz Mooney from the RHS Garden Wisley edibles team. She shares some of her best tried and tested cultivars and expert advice on how to grow a bumper crop. Plus, if hydrangeas are on your planting list, renowned woody plant collector and hybridizer Maurice Foster will be picking out some of his favourites. And finally, we’re tackling food waste head-on – Jenny Laville and composting guru Heather Gorringe break down worm farms, compost heaps, and bokashi bins to help you turn scraps into garden gold!

Host: Gareth Richards

Contributors: Liz Mooney, Maurice Foster, Jenny Laville, Heather Gorringe

Links:

How to Grow Tomatoes

Wiggly Wigglers

How to stop throwing away food waste – with or without a garden

Bokashi composting

The Hydrangea - A Reappraisal

White House Farm Garden and Arboretum

White House Farm Hydrangea open days: June 28th and August 23rd