grow, cook, eat, arrange with Sarah Raven & friends

Latest Episodes:

The Best Picks from Our Spring Catalogue with Sarah Raven & Arthur Parkinson - Episode 53 Feb 03, 2022

Show notes

The year is well underway, and with it comes the delightful prospect of spring’s imminent arrival. Longer, warmer, brighter days bring a perfect opportunity to populate your space with some of our favourite, outstanding floral highlights from the Spring Range.

Sarah & Arthur sit down together with their brand new catalogue and let their imagination run wild with their top picks. Learn how you can combine collections of decadent Dahlias to bathe your garden in colour, bring vibrance to your cooking with delicious tomato varieties, and hear Sarah’s warming, flavoursome recipe for Squid, Chorizo & Potato Stew.

In this episode, discover:

Our top picks of vibrant and rich Dahlias, with perfectly composed collections and showstopping singles
The gorgeous aroma of Lilies, particularly Lilium Regale, which can be perfectly paired alongside tomatoes
A new discovery for us, the bold and boastful terracotta shades of Bidens ‘Hot & Spicy’
The sweet and intense flavours found in two standout tomatoes, Sungold and Black Russian
Sarah’s warming recipe for a Squid, Chorizo & Potato Stew

View all products mentioned and find further advice from Sarah: https://bit.ly/3f2DFiH

Order Sarah’s book: https://bit.ly/2TWHJcz
Order Arthur’s book: https://bit.ly/3xOov7H

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Sharing the Joy of Hen Keeping with Feather & Egg’s Sabina Richardson - Episode 52 Jan 27, 2022

Show notes

When most people think of hens, the image of a typical brown egg-layer springs immediately to mind without any consideration for the bold blues, lavenders, partridge colours and intricate lacing found in rarer breeds.

Feather & Egg’s Sabina Richardson is a fellow poultry fancier with a commitment to sharing the joy and wonder of pure and rare hen breeds. Sabina joins Arthur this week as we explore the friendliest, rarest and most gorgeous hens to keep, as well as some invaluable advice on keeping them clean and safe from vermin.

In this episode, discover:

How hen keeping grew from Sabina’s personal hobby into a shared passion
Advice on protecting your hens from rats and foxes
Which breeds are ideal for families and young children
How to design your hen runs to stay clean
Ways to prepare for the potential impacts of bird flu
Why we should all play our part in preserving pure breeds

View all products mentioned and find further advice from Sarah: https://bit.ly/3f2DFiH

Order Sarah’s book: https://bit.ly/2TWHJcz
Order Arthur’s book: https://bit.ly/3xOov7H

Follow Sabina and Feather & Egg:
https://featherandegg.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/featherandegg/

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

The Complete Guide to Sowing Systems with Sarah Raven & Arthur Parkinson - Episode 51 Jan 20, 2022

Show notes

As we settle into 2022 and begin to plan for the year’s most delightful flowers, it’s the perfect time to share how to grow from seeds, a process that’s incredibly rewarding and yields beautiful pots full of healthy plants.

To create a complete cutting garden you’ll need to sow some seeds yourself. This episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ is the A-Z of all we know about sowing systems; you’ll learn which varieties thrive on root disturbance, when to use root trainers, growing in gutters, using heated propagators, and the 5 T’s of direct sowing.

In this episode, discover:

Which sowing systems we’ve found the best success with
How to sow carefully, treating your seed like gold dust
The varieties that either love or lament having root disturbance
Types of peat-free compost that have underperformed for us, and the new mix we’re trialling at Perch Hill

View all products mentioned and find further advice from Sarah: https://bit.ly/3f2DFiH

Order Sarah’s book: https://bit.ly/2TWHJcz
Order Arthur’s book: https://bit.ly/3xOov7H

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Spring Snowdrops with Graham Gough, Marchants Hardy Plants Nursery - Episode 50 Jan 13, 2022

Show notes

As we get 2022 well underway, we’ll see a showering of Snowdrops begin to brighten the garden with their brave, early bloom. Not only do they provide a gorgeous lift to grass, but their scent is so delightfully sweet.

You’d be hard pressed to find a greater advocate for the Galanthus than Graham Gough, an old horticultural friend of Sarah’s who joins her on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ to share his love of Snowdrops in an episode laden with helpful tips and hilarious anecdotes in equal measure!

In this episode, discover:

The foundation for Graham’s fondness of Snowdrops
Which varieties of Galanthus offer the sweetest, strongest scent
How to tend to your Galanthus bulbs, and keep Narcissus Fly from preying on them
Why you should embrace the joys of picking these pleasant harbingers of spring

View all products mentioned and find further advice from Sarah: https://bit.ly/3f2DFiH

Order Sarah’s book: https://bit.ly/2TWHJcz
Order Arthur’s book: https://bit.ly/3xOov7H

Marchants Hardy Plants Nursery:
https://www.marchantshardyplants.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/marchants_hardy_plants/
https://www.facebook.com/marchantshardyplants/

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Spectacular Sweet Peas with Sarah Raven & Arthur Parkinson - Episode 49 Jan 06, 2022

Show notes

We often discuss desert island flowers on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, and the focus of this week’s episode should hold a spot in everyone’s list - Sweet Peas. The anthemic ensemble of colours within this family of flowers is huge, from rich, saturated blues and purples, to pastel shades and luscious bi-colours.

Sweet Peas are the epitome of cut-and-come-again, which means you’ll be graced with their delightful sights and scents for as long as you care for these hungry plants. Join Sarah & Arthur this week as we learn the most eye-catching varieties, and the best sowing systems for prolific, long-lasting Sweet Peas.

In this episode, discover:

The most gorgeous varieties of Sweet Peas for creating an beautiful garden bed or artisanal table arrangement
What & how to feed these hungry flowers to prevent the risk of mildew
Pairings of Sweet Peas to combine the finest, flourishing flowers with the most soothing, delightful scents
How to grow them with a root trainer for the quickest, most prolific plantable seed

View all products mentioned and find further advice from Sarah: https://bit.ly/3f2DFiH

Order Sarah’s book: https://bit.ly/2TWHJcz
Order Arthur’s book: https://bit.ly/3xOov7H

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Protecting our insect population with Author & Professor, Dave Goulson - Episode 48 Dec 30, 2021

Show notes

We’re seldom shown or taught the wonders of wildlife that’s smaller than a fingernail, yet there’s a vast and vibrant insect ecosystem that’s in need of our protection from the effects of environmental issues.

There are few authors who share the same degree of passion for the insect world as Dave Goulson. A Professor of Biology at Sussex University & author of the Sunday Times Bestselling book ‘Silent Earth’, Dave joins Sarah & Arthur this week to share his most fascinating discoveries, and how the beautiful flowers we grow can serve a purpose far greater than that of personal enjoyment; they just might save our planet too...

In this episode, discover:

Dave’s charming story behind the discovery of bumblebees’s ‘smelly feet’
Misconceptions around the role that insects play in our ecosystem
How you can replace harmful insecticides with far more effective aphid-deterrents, earwigs
The role that schools can play in bringing more awareness to the beauty of the natural world
Garden projects you can try that will make a positive change for protecting insects

View all products mentioned and find further advice from Sarah: https://bit.ly/3f2DFiH

Dave Goulson: https://www.instagram.com/dave.goulson/

Order Sarah’s book: https://bit.ly/2TWHJcz
Order Arthur’s book: https://bit.ly/3xOov7H

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Picking & Conditioning Cut Flowers with Sarah Raven & Arthur Parkinson - Episode 47 Dec 23, 2021

Show notes

The cosiness of Christmas can be gloriously accentuated by a beautiful cut flower arrangement, and with this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ releasing on Christmas Eve it’s the perfect time to share how to make these flowers last as long as possible.

Right from the picking, through to conditioning and arranging your flowers, Sarah & Arthur’s tips will help you to make the most of your cutting garden throughout the whole year. From searing to sterilising, in some cases these tips will help you to see double the vase life from your colourful collections of cuttings.

In this episode, discover:

The life you can bring back to your flowers by submerging them in water
Which flowers need bamboo staking to keep them standing proud in a vase
How long to sear flowers based on their stems
A recipe for sugar syrup to extend the transient splash of colour from Sweet Peas
The most effective way to elongate cut flowers’ lifespan, avoiding the ‘pick-plonk’ approach to arranging

View all products mentioned and find further advice from Sarah: https://bit.ly/3f2DFiH

Follow Sarah: https://bit.ly/3jDTvBp
Follow Arthur: https://bit.ly/3jxSKK5

Order Sarah’s book: https://bit.ly/2TWHJcz
Order Arthur’s book: https://bit.ly/3xOov7H
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Sustainable Floristry for Christmas with Floral Designer, Shane Connolly - Episode 46 Dec 16, 2021

Show notes

Shane Connolly’s vision for timeless arrangements and his dedicated, tight-knit team are a combination that bring an artisanal class to any event they’re involved in - most publicised of which being the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's magnificent wedding celebration in 2011.

He’s also a firm advocate for sustainable floristry; for those of us looking to shift away from floral foam, this week’s episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ is unmissable. Shane joins Arthur to share the ethos that helps him collaborate on his clients’ marvellous displays, and how you can spark a similarly bold degree of inspiration in your own spaces.

In this episode, discover:

Shane’s adoration for the work of Constance Spry
The design ethos behind Shane’s team’s most eye-catching displays
Great, sustainable alternatives to the environmentally harmful floral foam
How you can view flowers in a new, creative light

View all products mentioned and find further advice from Sarah: https://bit.ly/3f2DFiH

Follow Shane:
http://www.shaneconnolly.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/shaneconnollyandco/

Order Sarah’s book: https://bit.ly/2TWHJcz
Order Arthur’s book: https://bit.ly/3xOov7H

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Designing Sustainable Spaces with Landscape Designer Dan Pearson - Episode 45 Dec 09, 2021

Show notes

The joys of gardening extend far beyond the three dimensions, with evolution over time being an aspect that inspires Dan Pearson to create magnificent spaces and document them so eloquently.

A prolific and multi-talented horticultural icon, Dan joins Sarah on this week’s ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ to discuss his exciting upcoming series which promises to offer a fresh and exciting approach to learning garden design, the principles behind his marvellous work on Sissinghurst’s Delos, and what we stand to learn from the Japanese principles guiding his work on the Tokachi Millennium Forest.

In this episode, discover:

How Dan is creating a more naturalistic view on garden & planting design in his new series with Create Academy
Dan’s sublime work on Delos at Sissinghurst and the Tokachi Millennium Forest
Capturing the essence of a garden in film, documenting their evolution through time
Inspiring Japanese philosophies like ‘shakkei’ and ‘satoyama’
Adjusting our view on what sustainability truly means, and how we can achieve it

View all products mentioned and find further advice from Sarah: https://bit.ly/3f2DFiH

Order Sarah’s new book: https://bit.ly/2TWHJcz
Order Arthur’s new book: https://bit.ly/3xOov7H

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Foraging for Winter Wreaths with Sarah Raven & Arthur Parkinson - Episode 44 Dec 02, 2021

Show notes

We’re just weeks away from what promises to be a magical Christmas period, and what better way to welcome the seasonal spirit into your home than creating a gorgeous wreath to adorn your door.

Whether you’re planning for a more natural look, or picking more exuberant decorations, Sarah & Arthur walk through the festive foliage to keep an eye out for when foraging this winter, from the warm, fireside hues of bracken, to dependable classics like holly and mistletoe.

In this episode, discover:

Collections of evergreens transformed by the setting of a wreath
Picking gorgeous, patisserie shades of light, airy grass to compliment your home’s decorations
The wreath bases that are perfect starting points for natural-looking arrangements
A fabulous pudding recipe you can prepare now, ready for Christmas Day

View all products mentioned and find further advice from Sarah: https://bit.ly/3f2DFiH

Order Sarah’s new book: https://bit.ly/2TWHJcz
Order Arthur’s new book: https://bit.ly/3xOov7H

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest