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

Latest Episodes:

Sarah’s favourite scented varieties for spring - Episode 222 May 01, 2025

Show notes

Gardens are a multisensory experience, and while we primarily think of aesthetics, it’s the scent of spring plants which is absolutely second to none.

Sarah’s flying solo this week on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ to share her pick of favourite scented spring bulbs and other perfumed plants to envelop your senses and uplift your spirits.

In this episode, discover:

Spring's most wonderfully scented bulbs, from delicate narcissus to room-filling tulips
Which bulbs are Sarah’s longest-flowering, most resilient garden heroes
How to create a sensory sensation with fragrant climbers that transform your outdoor space

Products mentioned:

Hyacinth 'Peter Stuyvesant' for Forcing

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hyacinth-peter-stuyvesant-for-forcing

Hyacinthus orientalis 'Woodstock' (Forcing)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hyacinth-woodstock-for-forcing

Narcissus 'Moonlight Sensation'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-moonlight-sensation

Narcissus 'Starlight Sensation'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-starlight-sensation

Narcissus 'Actaea'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-actaea

Narcissus 'Geranium'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-geranium

Narcissus 'Avalanche'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-avalanche

Narcissus 'Cragford' (Forcing)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-cragford-for-forcing

Narcissus cordubensis

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-cordubensis

Narcissus 'Pipit'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-pipit

Tulip 'Ballerina'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-ballerina

Geum 'Totally Tangerine'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/geum-totally-tangerine

Tulip sylvestris

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulipa-sylvestris

Tulip 'Request'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-request

Akebia quinata (Chocolate Vine)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/akebia-quinata

Tulip 'Sarah Raven'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-sarah-raven

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

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

Growing in pots on a London balcony with Jemima Bowker - Episode 221 Apr 24, 2025

Show notes

Urban gardeners who rent will be familiar with the need to transport their portable gardens frequently, so which plants are ideal for pots and containers that are often on the move?

Jemima Bowker is our beginner and balcony gardening expert with a relocation on the horizon. This week, she joins Sarah to chat about the ideal varieties for all sizes and types of container, and ways to protect and transport them during her upcoming move.

In this episode, discover:

The art of creating a portable garden paradise in zinc tubs and windowsill planters
Perfect plants for smaller spaces, from bush basil to Texas Wild tomatoes
How to layer compost, feeding your plants and keeping containers looking pristine from May right through to autumn

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

Species tulips and why you should grow them with Josie Lewis - Episode 220 Apr 17, 2025

Show notes

There's been some exciting breeding and hybridising using species tulips - those closely related to wild tulips - in recent years, which has made them perfect plants for withstanding tulip fire.

Species tulips are a newfound favourite for Josie and Sarah at Perch Hill, and in this episode we’ll hear why they’re a must-have for pots in particular, and which incredible varieties have captured their attention.

In this episode, discover:

The remarkable resilience of species tulips to wetter springs and fungal disease
A vibrant world of unique tulip varieties, from the flame-like Tulip acuminata, to Cretan natives like Hilde
Tips for naturalising species tulips in grass and growing in pots for decades of stunning blooms
How species tulips are the ultimate breakfast buffet for early pollinators and emerging bumblebee queens

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

Enter the secret world of bees and their honey with Rachel de Thample - Episode 219 Apr 10, 2025

Show notes

Bees are an absolute passion for us at Perch Hill, not just for their pollination and presence in the garden, but for their delicious and nutritious produce too.

The same can be said for award-winning author and fermentation expert, Rachel de Thample, who joins Sarah this week on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ to share delicious honey-inspired recipes from her new book, her pick of the best bee-friendly plants, and much more besides.

In this episode, discover:

Rachel’s journey to writing her latest book, working at River Cottage and being introduced to Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
The incredible and industrious world of bees, and how it takes 12 bees a lifetime to create a single teaspoon of honey
Bee-friendly herbs that are not just beautiful, but useful to bees and humans alike
A reimagined view of honey in cooking with Rachel's spectacular recipes

Products mentioned:

Common Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/thyme-common

Summer Savory (Satureja hortensis)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/summer-savory

Oregano 'Hot and Spicy'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/oregano-hot-and-spicy

Artichoke 'Violet de Provence'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/artichoke-violet-de-provence

Borago officinalis (Borage)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/borago-officinalis

Allium siculum (syn. Nectaroscordum)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/nectaroscordum-siculum

Discover Rachel’s new book: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/bees--honey-9781526625465/

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

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

Why garden birds have so much to teach us with Adam Nicolson - Episode 218 Apr 03, 2025

Show notes

There’s a rich, complex, and utterly rewarding natural world that co-exists alongside ours, and relies on our gardens for food and safety – the often surprising world of small garden birds.

This week on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Adam Nicolson shares insights from his new book, Bird School, which explores the secret life of these tiny avian visitors, so often unfurling right under our noses in our gardens and green spaces.

In this episode, discover:

The true reasons behind the dawn chorus, its unique sound and timing
What inspired Adam to immerse himself in the world of small birds
How birds perceive the world so intricately, in a way that we’re yet to fully understand
What we as gardeners can do to help protect our British bird species

Order Adam’s new book, Bird School:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bird-School-Beginner-Adam-Nicolson/dp/000849083X

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

Salix gracilistyla ‘Mount Aso’

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/salix-gracilistyla-mount-aso

Goat willow hedging

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/goat-willow-hedging

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

What to sow and plant this spring with some of Sarah’s greatest guests - Episode 217 Mar 27, 2025

Show notes

Spring is here in all its glory, and with it comes the perfect moment to plant and sow. This week on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ we’ve compiled our top tips and growing inspiration from not one, but seven of Sarah’s all-time favourite guests.

From Knepp’s Charlie Harpur on his favourite plants for pollinators, to the veg varieties Jess Gough is growing at home, revisit some of Sarah’s greatest guests and their timely recommendations for gardens large and small. Sarah also shares five fresh ideas for what to plant into your garden right now.

In this episode, discover:

Top growing tips from seven of Sarah’s most illustrious gardening guests
Inspiration on plants for perfume, pollinators and punchy colour combinations in your garden
Sarah’s top five flowers to plant now with springtime in mind

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

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

A guide to compost making for no dig gardening with Charles Dowding - Episode 216 Mar 20, 2025

Show notes

Charles Dowding is world-renowned as a pioneer of no dig growing, and while it’s great for saving time and effort, it’s also proven to be more productive and better for the environment, and the soil, too.

Who better to hear from on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ than the pioneer himself, as Charles joins Sarah and Josie to share his decades of experience with no dig, tips on creating your own fertile garden compost at home, and inspiring ideas for what to sow in late-March.

In this episode, discover:

Charles’ experience with the no dig ethos in different soil types around the world
How switching to no dig has made his crops consistently more productive across many years
How to convert your own organic waste into fertile compost for successful growing and improve the long-term health of your soil

Discover Charles Dowding’s latest book:

https://shop.charlesdowding.co.uk/products/compost-transform-waste-into-new-life

Products mentioned:

Chervil 'Vertissimo'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/chervil-vertissimo

Coriander 'Leisure'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/coriander-leaf-form-leisure

Mustard 'Red Frills'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/mustard-red-frills

Winter purslane (Claytonia)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/winter-purslane

Wild Rocket

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/wild-rocket

Salad Rocket 'Serrata'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/salad-rocket-serrata

Mustard 'Red Frills'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/mustard-red-frills

Broad Bean 'Superaguadulce'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/broad-bean-superaguadulce

Lettuce Oak Leaf Collection

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/organic-lettuce-seed-collection

Pea ‘Hurst Green Shaft’

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/peas-hurst-green-shaft

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

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 rewards of growing your own delicious fruit and veg varieties with Joe Clark - Episode 215 Mar 13, 2025

Show notes

Like many gardeners, Joe Clark was captivated by the magic of growing his own food at a young age, and now inspires millions more to be enthralled by the same fascinating process via his popular social media channels.

Joe is an advocate for planting fruit, veg and flowers that you may not ordinarily encounter in the supermarket, and on this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ he shares his favourite varieties for every taste, space, and type of garden.

In this episode, discover:

Joe’s favourite varieties to grow for a simple, rewarding crop
Hardy veg perfect for growing without a greenhouse
A number of tasty varieties of lesser-known fruit and veg rarely found in the shops

Order Joe’s book ‘Garden To Save The World’:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Garden-Save-World-Feel-Good-Yourself/dp/1035032317/

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

Products mentioned:

Tomato 'Costoluto Fiorentino'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tomato-costoluto-fiorentino

Dill (Anethum graveolens)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/anethum-graveolens-dill

Pea ‘Blauwschokker’

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/pea-blauwschokker

Pea ‘Nairobi’

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/pea-nairobi

Kohlrabi 'Kolibri' F1 (Gongylodes Group)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/kohlrabi-kolibri-f1

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

Seasonal picks for successional colour and boosting biodiversity with Arthur Parkinson - Episode 214 Mar 06, 2025

Show notes

Lighter, longer days signal the start of a joyous season for gardeners, and March is the perfect month to plan for the highlights of your spring and summer garden.

Arthur Parkinson returns to ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ this week to share the plants that brought him the most joy last year, the trials he’ll be undertaking in his own compact garden at home, and his personal pick of long-flowering varieties for successional colour and pollinator appeal, no matter the size of your plot.

In this episode, discover:

How to care for Arthur’s favourite China rose ‘Mutabilis’ so that it flowers for longer in your garden
Standout geums for a spectacle that lasts from May right through to October
The narcissi varieties that Arthur looks forward to trialling this year
Standout dahlia varieties for summer pots, from last year’s favourite ‘Tartan’ to classics like ‘Blue Bayou’

Products mentioned:

Liriope muscari

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/liriope-muscari

Rosa x odorata 'Mutabilis'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/rosa-x-oderata-mutabilis

Rosa × odorata 'Bengal Crimson' (China)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/rosa-x-odorata-bengal-crimson

Geum 'Totally Tangerine'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/geum-totally-tangerine

Narcissus 'Cragford' (Forcing)

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/narcissus-cragford-for-forcing

Dahlia 'Tartan'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-tartan

Dahlia 'Waltzing Mathilda'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-waltzing-mathilda

Dahlia 'Blue Bayou'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-blue-bayou

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

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

Our role in supporting wild and solitary bees as gardeners with Richard Rickitt - Episode 213 Feb 27, 2025

Show notes

Bees are one of the most essential species in our ecosystem, and all of our gardens play a vital role in providing food and shelter for them to thrive.

Beekeeper, gardener and writer Richard Rickitt’s passion for these particular pollinators is utterly infectious. In this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Richard shares what inspired him to start keeping bees at an early age, his fascination with the many species of wild bees in the UK, and the small but important changes we as gardeners can make to help protect their dwindling populations.

In this episode, discover: