Inspiration to help you garden the organic way, with advice, tips and interviews from the UK’s leading organic gardening organisation, Garden Organic. Hosted by Fiona Taylor and Chris Collins.
S3 Ep10: October - Pam The Jam shares her preserving secrets
Oct 10, 2023
Show notes
In this month’s podcast, we chat to Pam ‘The Jam’ Corbin about making seasonal jams and chutneys from homegrown produce. As the UK's leading expert on preserving, Pam shares some of her best-kept preserving secrets in October’s Organic Gardening Podcast. Pam cemented her reputation as a preserving expert at Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s River Cottage. And in her latest book, Pam the Jam: The Book of Preserves, she provides detailed instructions for making more than 100 of her favourite recipes from classic pickles to savoury jams. Fiona caught up with her at her home in the West Country to take a tour of her pretty garden, and find out why she loves to make the most of delicious garden fruit and vegetables. Also in this episode…
Chris Collins and Anton discuss creating the right conditions for healthy grapevines, friendly ways to tackle box moth caterpillars, and box alternatives, and how to avoid plum tree rot.
S3 Ep9: September - Sustainability in action in Wales
Sep 14, 2023
Show notes
In this month’s podcast, Fiona chats to environmentalist Jane Davidson – our new Vice President - about the impact of climate change on her life and her gardening. In a fascinating discussion for our September Organic Gardening Podcast, the former Welsh Government minister shares her organic gardening trials and triumphs in North Pembrokeshire, and the importance of the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act, which she spearheaded. “We’ve lost 70 per cent of species in my lifetime…and we’re likely to exceed the crucial 1.5 degrees this year - and that's a massive wake-up call,” says Jane, who is Chair of Wales Net Zero 2035. “I'm absolutely passionate about the idea that if we teach young children about the value of nature, then we actually breed habits that can sustain forevermore. Also in this episode
Fiona and Chris discuss the effect of this year’s changeable weather on their gardens and crops, looking at what’s done well and what hasn’t. Chris shares insights into tomato blight, and how to bring a pop of autumn colour into your planting schemes. And from the postbag, Anton discusses harvesting carrots and parsnips and autumn seed sowing.
S3 Ep8: The gluts and the glory!
Aug 04, 2023
Show notes
This month’s delicious Organic Gardening Podcast offers 50-minutes of organic gardening advice and growing stories from our experts at the height of the harvest. The August garden might be bursting at the seams but now’s a great time to be planning for next year. Chris and Fiona chat about growing potatoes for a Christmas crop and planting for the hunger gap in early spring. And discuss protecting your soil over autumn and winter with green manures. Also in this episode
Fiona finds out more about gardening in Scotland with our new Vice President Pam Whittle CBE – including her tireless work as president of The Royal Caledonian Horticulture Society and why accessibility to gardening is key to public health. “Finding spaces where human beings and nature can coexist is crucial,” says Pam. “And, for me, it’s all about sharing knowledge, not just showing. People learn better when they can do it for themselves.” From the postbag, Emma and Chris chew over your gardening questions including what causes tomato leaf curl and how to regrow supermarket herbs. And you can discover more about a little weed called nipplewort.
Unpruned - Jack Wallington: A Greener Life
Jul 17, 2023
Show notes
In this unpruned episode of the Organic Gardening Podcast, Sarah Brown sits down for a chat with ecological grower and garden designerJack Wallington about his book, A Greener Life. Whether you're a seasoned gardener seeking to deepen your understanding of sustainable practices or a beginner eager to embark on a greener gardening journey, prepare to be inspired as Jack imparts his wisdom, revealing his secrets to a more sustainable and fulfilling gardening experience. From incorporating ecological principles into your garden design to nurturing biodiversity "A Greener Life" aims to empower you to create a garden that not only flourishes but also contributes positively to the environment. You can follow Jack Wallington on Instagram: @JackWallingtonNature
S3 Ep7: July - Climate change ready gardening
Jul 05, 2023
Show notes
In this month’s podcast, our Head Gardener Emma O’Neill gives us a backstage tour of her brilliant Backyard Biodiversity show garden at Gardeners’ World Live – and the take aways to use in your own garden. Emma talks to Fiona about the climate-change focus of the silver award-winning garden, which gave gardeners inspiring ideas to help their garden better withstand drought and flooding. She shares the benefits of permeable paths and gravel gardens for absorbing run off. And growing a short flowering lawn – with beneficial plants - for attracting insects. Fiona and Emma also discuss how low hedges of lavender and herbs can function as pollinator corridors, and which wildlife habitats can be slotted into a small garden. Also in this episode
Chris Collins and Fiona share tips on conserving water, the importance of nurturing your soil and your front garden. And from the postbag, you can learn how to use nematodes, prevent blossom end rot and when to harvest your garlic.
S3 Ep6: June - How to build a community garden
Jun 15, 2023
Show notes
In this month’s podcast, Chris Collins chats to the ‘Banksy of Veg’ - food and gardening activist Sara Venn – about the importance of community gardening. The founder of Incredible Edible Bristol talks us through her journey into gardening and how she realised eco-friendly, organic gardening was the right route. “I learnt there's an awful lot of horticulture that isn't very good for the planet,” she says. “There's an awful lot of horticulture that's quite posh…and there’s a lot that suggests it’s regenerative but is actually just about shifting people out of the way.” Over the last decade, Sara has worked with more than 60 communities to create local, cost-effective gardens that give people access to nature, food and wellbeing. And she shares lots of advice for communities thinking about starting an eco-friendly garden in their neighbourhood. “Let's grow more food!” she says. “Let's make food available to anybody that needs it. But let’s also looks at who we share the planet with. We can't survive without pollinators, however much we think we can. Our garden space is bigger than the space the National Parks cover, so imagine if everybody was gardening.”
S3 Ep5: May - The critical value of gardens to wildlife survival
May 05, 2023
Show notes
Our gardens and growing spaces have never been more important as biodiversity declines. Listen to our fascinating conversation with wildlife gardening pioneer Chris Baines as he discusses the “wildlife revolution” in our gardens and the sea-change in attitudes towards incorporating nature-friendly habitats and techniques. “Gardens made a big, positive difference [to wildlife] once people started to see them as a place where they could enjoy and encourage wildlife, rather than a place that they needed to keep wildlife out,” says Chris, who suggests creating ‘service stations’ in your garden to influence bird and insect survival. “The past 60-70 years have been a disaster for wildlife. The one saving grace in the UK has been gardens. Gardens have got better for wildlife, while the wider countryside has got worse. There’s a real growing up of the idea that we can’t just stand back and watch everything disappear, we have to intervene.”
S3 Ep4: April – A deep dive in to the cut flower industry
Apr 13, 2023
Show notes
In this Cut Flower Special of The Organic Gardening Podcast, Sarah Brown chats with Jo Wright from Flowers from the Farm and Debbie Scott, from East Lothian Flower Farm, as they share their experience of growing cut flowers organically, offering valuable insights into the benefits of supporting local flower growers. “Growing organic flowers made complete sense as we think about what we do very carefully," says Jo. "Cut flowers are a luxury, and we think the onus is much greater on the growers of a luxury crop, to protect the environment. We cannot be wasting resources on something that is primarily decorative." Our CEO Fiona Taylor catches up with our Head of Horticulture, Chris Collins, and shares top tips for ensuring seedlings thrive and flourish. They also discuss getting the most out of your local garden centre, so you can make more informed choices. “You do need to be wise about what you’re buying. It’s a question of walking around and seeing what’s native and getting the best out of your shop, getting your money’s worth and supporting biodiversity,” says Chris.
S3 Ep3: March - No sprays and no dig on a visit to Kew
Mar 16, 2023
Show notes
The first day of spring is here and we’re starting to sow the seeds of the gardening year. Chris Collins pays a visit to Richard Wilford at Kew Gardens where he talks about tackling pests and reducing digging. “Our tolerance of pests has changed,” says Richard. “You’ve just got to accept the fact you’re going getting some aphids sometimes, and not get your sprayer out every time you see one. Allow the garden ecosystem to do what it needs to do…and then you won’t need to worry about pest outbreaks because they’re naturally controlled.” He talks about his plans for a new Carbon Garden at Kew that will demonstrate which plants can cope with climate change and offset it, and what you can do in your own garden. “The soil is the most important thing in a garden…and the health of the plants is so much better when you’re not disturbing the soil. It acts as a great big carbon sink,” Richard adds. Chris also catches up with Garden Organic’s head gardener Emma O’Neill about what she’s doing in our organic demonstration garden this month. They discuss successional sowing - and how important a sowing timetable is for planning vegetables all year round, and share details of their favourite flowers. “Growing organically is not just about food production but also about incorporating ornamentals,” says Emma. “The more diversity you’ve got in your garden, the more beneficial stuff you’re going to get in including more pollinators.”
S3 Ep2: February - We’re dreaming of a colourful summer garden!
Feb 07, 2023
Show notes
Spring is just around the corner and our Organic Gardening Podcast team are sharing their excitement at the gardening year ahead. Our head of horticulture Chris Collins chats to Fiona about his love of hardy annual flowers. He discusses how to prepare ahead and get the ground ready, and what to sow for a fabulous display in the summer. At his allotment, he’s making new plants from old by lifting and dividing herbaceous perennials. And Sarah Brown chats to Jack Wallington about his move from London to an exposed hillside smallholding in Yorkshire. The ecological grower, garden designer and author of A Greener Life, shares the challenges and joys of gardening in a new location. The focus of his new garden follows the same sustainable principles of his London garden and allotment, with nature at its heart. “We’re not here to control the garden, it’s the other way around – we’re here to help everything else thrive,” he says. “But you can do something really good for the world by producing a home for insects or growing your own food, so you reduce transport miles and packaging. Organic gardening is core to all of that – better for you and the planet.”
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