The Garden Podcast

A frond farewell Dec 22, 2020

January 2020

To keep up with the latest in gardening, please subscribe to our podcast, Gardening with the RHS

Homegrown Christmas decorations, city garden design and gardens for wellbeing Nov 25, 2020

December 2020

Useful links

Grasses, John Evelyn and mad for mangaves Nov 11, 2020

November 2020

Useful links: ►Ornamental grasses ►Knoll Gardens ►10 award-winning autumn grasses ►Michael Perry on mangave ►RHS new plants blog: Agave* ‘Lavender Lady’ ► ►The Garden magazine ►Join us

Selected plants mentioned: Stipa tenuissima, Carex comans, Carex ‘Ice Dance’, Sesleria ‘Spring Dream’, Miscanthus sinensis ‘Malepartus’, Mangave ‘Bad Hair Day’, ‘Macho Mocha’, ‘Pineapple Express’ and ‘Lavender Lady’ ►RHS Find a plant

Pears, asters and tulip trees Sep 22, 2020

October 2020

Useful links

RHS Grow Your Own - How to grow pears
Asters (Symphyotrichum)
Find more information and suppliers of tulip trees (Liriodendron)
Join the RHS to get your monthly copy of The Garden magazine

Welcoming a new president, gardening careers, pineapple lilies Aug 18, 2020

September 2020

Chris talks to incoming RHS President Keith Weed about what he hopes to achieve in his new role. Writer and Wisley graduate Holly Farrell extols the virtues of learning your trade with an RHS Diploma in Practical Horticulture, highlighting some of the incredible opportunities that this iconic course can open up. Plus Alan Street of Avon Bulbs shares his love of an unusual late summer flower: Eucomis or pineapple lily.

Useful links: ►RHS education ►Careers in horticulture ►Eucomis ►The Garden magazine ►Join us

Cucumbers, cacti and crickets Jul 21, 2020

August 2020

Useful links: ►Grow your own: cucumbers ►Hardy cacti ►Wildlife gardening ►The Garden magazine ►Join us

Sour pleasures, authors' gardens, urban design Jun 23, 2020

July 2020

What do salsas, sauces for sea bass and knickerbocker glories all have in common? They're all good uses for the humble redcurrant of course! Food writer Mark Diacono shares his love of redcurrants, along with their white and pink cousins; plus interviews on famous authors' gardens with Daisy Johnson and urban garden design with Bradley Viljoen.

Useful links: ►Find a plant ►Grow your own: redcurrants ►The Garden magazine ►Join us

Selected plants mentioned: Silene fimbriata, Arum italicum, Betula utilis var. jacquemontii

Herb secrets with Jekka, mad about moths, through a plantsman's window May 26, 2020

June 2020

Jersey tiger, vapourer, Mother Shipton… this month we flutter into the weird and wonderful world of day-flying moths with RHS scientist Dr Stephanie Bird. Back on the ground, multiple award-winning herb grower Jekka McVicar shares wisdom gained from a lifetime of working with, growing, cooking and preserving aromatic plants. Plus legendary plantsman Roy Lancaster takes us on a voyage to far-off lands through the exotic plants growing in his garden.

Useful links: ►Find a plant ►The Garden magazine ►Join the RHS

A new look at nasturtiums and what does it really mean to be green? Apr 21, 2020

May 2020

This month, Chris talks to broadcaster, industry insider and lover of all things brazen, Mr Plant Geek (aka Michael Perry) about an undeservedly neglected but hardworking plant, the nasturtium. Michael shares growing tips and outlines some of its many different and wonderful varieties.

David Ware of pioneering eco-friendly nursery Edibleculture describes how the company has managed to not only go peat free but is now attempting to eliminate plastic waste too, as part of an ongoing quest to 'green' its entire business. Plus a behind-the-scenes look at how The Garden magazine team are coping with lockdown.

Useful links: ►Find a plant ►The Garden magazine ►Join the RHS

Gardening for wellbeing, gin botanicals and The Plant Review Mar 19, 2020

April 2020

Did you know that growing plants can boost your mental health and wellbeing - and even help boost your immunity? Chris talks to Alistair Griffiths, RHS Director of Science, about his new book 'Your Wellbeing Garden', co-authored with award-winning garden designer Matt Keightley.

Also this month, garden writer Naomi Slade explores the sparklingly fragrant world of home-grown gin botanicals, offering lots of suggestions of how to take your G&T to the next level, with everything from zingy lemon balm to floral cornflowers and many more. Plus an editors' tête à tête with James Armitage who shares a peek inside this month's The Plant Review with delicious yellow snowdrops, tales of garden-making Princesses and plant hunting in far-off lands.

Useful links: ►RHS Your Wellbeing Garden ► The Plant Review ►The Garden magazine ►Join us

The unexpected beauty of spring leaves, high-security gardening at Yarl's Wood, and does anyone love bergen Feb 20, 2020

March 2020

Leaves are green, right? Wrong! Curator Matt Pottage shares the reds, oranges, yellows and even shocking pinks to be found among the spring foliage at RHS Garden Wisley. Chris talks to writer and broadcaster Jane Perrone about a life-changing gardening project at Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre near Bedford. This month's plant rant is the often-maligned bergenia. Garden writer Melissa Mabbitt and Deputy Editor Phil Clayton share the good and the bad, and give suggestions of the best varieties and how to use them.

Selected plants mentioned

Trees for spring leaf colour: Toona sinensis 'Flamingo', Cercidiphyllum 'Rotfuchs' ('Red Fox'), Acer pseudoplatanus 'Brilliantissimum', Acer platanoides 'Walderseei'.

Bergenia varieties: Berginia ciliata, B. eroica, B. pacumbis, B. purpurascens, 'Schneekoenigin' ('Snow Queen'), 'Abendglut'.

Rachel de Thame on garden making, snowdrop secrets & tackling a new plant disease Jan 23, 2020

February 2020

When was the last time you stepped back and took a long hard look at your garden? Television presenter and writer Rachel de Thame talks to Chris about her new column discussing how and why gardeners should tackle making changes to their plots. Former RHS Director General and confirmed galanthophile Gordon Rae shares his love of snowdrops and their surprising diversity. Plus Head of Plant Health, Gerard Clover, explores one of the biggest threats facing UK gardens and horticulture today: the bacterial plant disease xylella.

For links see our programme page at rhs.org.uk/thegardenpodcast

January 2020 - Gardening for mental health, houseplants on the rampage and Roy Lancaster's garden Dec 12, 2019

As increasing evidence links exposure to gardens and gardening to improved mental health and wellbeing, Chris talks to The Garden columnist Lia Leendertz about her own experiences in this field. Meanwhile in the Wisley Glasshouse, strange things are afoot as a green army prepares to invade an abandoned Victorian house. Callum Munro-Faure shares advice on some of the stars of the show, the weird and wonderful aroids or Araceae family. And finally, plant-hunter extraordinaire Roy Lancaster takes us on a tour of his Hampshire garden, chock-full of exotic plants from around the globe.

Useful links: Gardening for health and wellbeing ►RHS advice: Houseplants ►The Giant Houseplant Takeover at Wisley ►Find a plant ►The Garden magazine ►Join us

Selected plants mentioned

Aroids: Golden pothos (Epipremnum aureum), Philodendron melanochrysum, Philodendron 'Pink Princess'

Roy Lancaster's garden: Himalayacalamus falconeri, Embothrium coccineum (Lanceolatum Group), Betula luminifera, Carpinus fangiana, Chamaerops humilis 'Vulcano', Trachycarpus wagnerianus

December 2019 – Grow your own Christmas dinner, going plastic-free and Christmas tree secrets Nov 19, 2019

Have you ever fantasised about growing all the veg for Christmas dinner? This month Chris talks to expert grower Sue Stickland who's been doing just that for years. She shares her hard-won tips on which varieties to choose, how to harvest to beat the weather and more.

Sally Nex shares the wisdom she's gained over a year spent reducing her use of plastic in the garden – a journey which has been charted in a 10-part column in The Garden. Plus Christmas tree grower Simon Maughan shares the secrets of selecting and growing the perfect festive foliage.

For useful links see our programme page at rhs.org.uk/thegardenpodcast

Gardening for health and wellbeing, a bounty of British pears and bamboo: beauty or beast? (November 2019) Oct 17, 2019

November 2019

Gardeners have long known that being outdoors and surrounded by plants quite simply makes you feel better. Now scientific studies are starting to bear this out – and the NHS is taking notice. We talk to Professor Tim Kendall about how horticulture is making its way into the health service.

Do you know your 'Swan's Egg' from your 'Autumn Nelis' or 'Bishop's Thumb'? Gerry Edwards, Chair of the RHS Fruit Group, shares his love of heritage pear varieties and offers tips on how to grow them. Plus: bamboo – graceful greenery or rampaging rogue? Garden writer Melissa Mabbitt and Deputy Editor Phil Clayton debate the merits of this divisive plant and give advice how to grow (and control) it.

►How to create a feel-good garden ►RHS advice: grow your own pears ►More info on bamboo ►The Garden magazine ►Join us

Dan Pearson's designs for Lowther Castle, secrets of great compost, celebrating the tastes of cooking apples Sep 18, 2019

October 2019

Internationally renowned, award-winning garden designer Dan Pearson talks to Chris about an exciting project to breathe new life into the gardens of a ruined castle high in the Cumbrian hills. Garden writer Melissa Mabbitt shares the down-to-earth secrets of making great compost, following a recent visit with RHS Garden Harlow Carr's 'Queen of Compost', Alison Mundie.

Finally, food writer Mark Diacono discusses the last in his 'Tastes to celebrate' series: cooking apples – sharing favourite varieties, great ways to use and store them and giving some cultivation advice too.

►Lowther Castle & Gardens ►How to make garden compost ►RHS grow your own: apples ►Discover historic apples with the RHS Lindley Libraries ►The Garden magazine ►Join us

Podcast takeover: The Plant Review Sep 05, 2019

September 2019

This month the podcast is taken over by The Garden's sister publication, The Plant Review (formerly The Plantsman). Hear renowned plant collector Roy Lancaster as he takes you on a tour of his Hampshire garden, while author and Director of the Yorkshire Arboretum John Grimshaw recounts expeditions in search of the weird, wonderful and utterly un-growable plants of the East African highlands. Back at sea level, magazine editors past and present discuss their 'desert island plants'.

Desert island plant selections: Corynabultilon (syn. Abutilon) ochsenii, Eryngium × zabelii 'Jos Eijking', Musa basjoo, Clematis montana var. grandiflora

The Garden Podcast – August 2019 Aug 28, 2019

Crocosmias, commas and capturing the perfect garden photo

Chris talks to John Foley of Holden Clough nursery – a man on a mission to show the world that crocosmias are so much more than the old-fashioned montbretia of yesteryear. Plus the magazine's Sub Editor Jeremy Kirk shares the quirks of his job, and and internationally-renowned garden photographer and RHS Photographic Competition judge Andrea Jones offers tips on getting the perfect garden photo.

►RHS Find a plant: Crocosmia ►The Garden magazine ►Join the RHS ►RHS Photographic Competition

The Garden Podcast - July 2019 Jun 21, 2019

Plant rant: do hypericums cut the mustard? Plus bringing in the bees and exploring exotic edibles in Essex

Hypericums are popular plants in municipal plantings – but do they have a place in gardens too? This month garden writer Melissa Mabbitt and Deputy Editor Phil Clayton discuss the charms of this often-maligned genus which has recently been the subject of an RHS Plant Trial.

Meanwhile wildlife expert Jean Vernon describes the diversity of native British bees and offers tips on how to encourage them in our gardens. And finally RHS Digital Features Editor Gareth Richards shares his exotic edible discoveries from a recent trip to Hyde Hall's Global Growth Vegetable Garden.

►Find more info and suppliers of hypericum plants ►Plants for pollinators ►The Garden magazine ►Join the RHS ►Visit RHS Garden Hyde Hall

The Garden Podcast - June 2019 Jun 21, 2019

June 2019 – Make your own roof garden, the joys of the gooseberry and going peat free

This month Mark Diacono continues his series championing growing for taste with a look at our spiky friend, the gooseberry. Chris talks to him about how best to cook them, and why they've fallen out of fashion. Meanwhile, Emily Erlam, the designer of a London roof garden gives tips on how to create your own lofty paradise. Plus we talk to Catherine Dawson, the Technical Director at Melcourt Industries, about going peat free, and the innovations that promise to reduce the environmental cost of horticulture.

May 2019 – A walk on the Wildside, wisteria wisdom and gardening advice goes digital Apr 18, 2019

Keith Wiley's remarkable Devon garden, Wildside, makes a stunning feature in this month's magazine. Chris talks to Keith about his unique approach to planting and how his experience of wild plant communities translates into a garden setting. Matt Pottage, curator of RHS Garden Wisley, revels in the seasonal delights of wisteria – sharing tips on varieties and updates to received wisdom about pruning. Finally, Jenny Bowden explains the new online gardening advice service for RHS members.

April 2019 - The state of the nation's nurseries, how to choose compost, going plastic-free Mar 14, 2019

April 2019 Plant nurseries are the lifeblood of gardening and garden shows in the UK. In these challenging times, are they managing to survive and thrive? Chris talks to garden writer Melissa Mabbitt to find out. Are you confused when faced with a barrage of compost options at the garden centre? This month, the magazine features a handy guide to help you find the right compost for you, and Deputy Editor Phil Clayton gives advice on this topic and shares his personal experiences with peat-free compost. Finally, professional gardener and author Sally Nex charts her quest to rid her garden of plastic.

March 2019 - An insider's peek at the Chelsea Flower Show, rhubarb rhubarb and fast flowers from seed Feb 14, 2019

March 2019 - An insider's peek at the Chelsea Flower Show, rhubarb rhubarb and fast flowers from seed March is one of the biggest issues of The Garden magazine and in celebration we've got a podcast jam-packed with gardening goodness. Chris gets an insider's guide to this year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show with News Editor Anisa Gress, who shares news on exciting designs and highlights to look out for. Then it's back down to earth as for a discussion on the delights of rhubarb with writer, grower and cook Mark Diacono; then Ursula Cholmeley of Easton Walled Gardens shares her favourite first-year-flowering perennials to grow from seed. *A note to readers of The Garden magazine: to hear Chris Young speaking to Anna Skibniewski-Ball about RHS Flower Show Cardiff, please listen out for episode 149 of the RHS Gardening Podcast, which will be broadcast on 21 February. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/thegardenpodcast

February 2019 - Spawning glories, drought lessons and how to beat tomato blight Jan 18, 2019

February 2019 - Spawning glories, drought lessons and how to beat tomato blight This month we dip into the murky waters of garden ponds to get a seasonal lowdown on frog spawn, before drying off to discuss what gardening lessons can be taken from last summer's extreme weather conditions. Plus an expert look at tomato blight and how gardeners can avoid it. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/thegardenpodcast

January 2019 - Wintergreen ferns with Matt Pottage, fabulous foliage at Rosemoor and CSI Wisley Dec 13, 2018

January 2019 - Wintergreen ferns with Matt Pottage, fabulous foliage at Rosemoor and CSI Wisley This month we unfurl the best wintergreen ferns with Wisley Curator Matt Pottage. From flamboyant and exotic woodwardias to the delightful, diminuitive native polypody, there's a fern to add greenery to any garden throughout the darkest months. Plus, Jon Webster shares the delights of the Foliage Garden at Rosemoor; and if you thought pathology was confined to glossy TV dramas, think again, as Plant Pathologist Jassy Drakulic shares insight into her role at the forefront of keeping our beloved specimens safe from all manner of garden baddies. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/thegardenpodcast

December 2018 - Roy Lancaster on conifers, glitter on cacti and how to make your amaryllis flower again Nov 21, 2018

December 2018 - Roy Lancaster on conifers, glitter on cacti and how to make your amaryllis flower again This month, The Garden throws off the shackles of horticultural haute couture and takes a look at some of the least fashionable plants out there. Are dyed, glitter-encrusted and spray-painted plants abominations or a good way to get seasonal colour and encourage new gardeners? Plus plant hunter and author Roy Lancaster VMH shares his life-long love of conifers and Karen Robbirt from the RHS Plant Trials team offers insight onto what it takes to get your Christmas amaryllis (properly known as Hippeastrum) to re-flower next year. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/thegardenpodcast

November 2018 - unexpected berried treasures of autumn; how war shaped British gardens Oct 17, 2018

November 2018 - unexpected berried treasures of autumn; how war shaped British gardens Dead men's fingers, beauty berry, Himalayan honeysuckle and peonies to name but a few... In this episode we meet the unusual suspects providing seasonal colour with a range of delightful fruits. Chris also talks to garden historian Ambra Edwards about the surprising legacy of the First World War on British gardens. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/thegardenpodcast

October 2018 - wildlife at Great Dixter; choosing and planting summer-flowering trees Sep 20, 2018

Chris talks to Fergus Garrett, head gardener at Great Dixter, about the incredible diversity of life that calls this world-famous garden home. Chris talks to Fergus Garrett, head gardener at Great Dixter, about the incredible diversity of life that calls this world-famous garden home. The garden, created by the late plantsman and writer Christopher Lloyd (known affectionately as 'Christo') is well known as a treasure-trove of plants, but it has only recently become apparent that it's also fantastically rich in biodiversity. Meanwhile at Wisley, horticulturist and garden manager Emma Allen shares her favourite summer-flowering trees and offers advice on how to plant them now that the main tree planting season is fast approaching. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/thegardenpodcast

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