Gardening with the RHS: Recent Episodes
Royal Horticultural Society
'Gardening with the RHS' offers seasonal advice, inspiration and practical solutions to gardening problems. Trusted gardening professionals give you the latest horticultural advice, scientific research and tried and tested techniques to bring out the best in your garden.
Topics covered include: growing your own vegetables, flowers, garden design, lawn care and gardening with children. Plus expert masterclasses in topics ranging from cottage garden plants, growing orchids, to pest control and eco-friendly gardening.
Plus we’ll have behind the scenes reports from the country’s most prestigious flower shows. There’s something in these podcasts to interest every gardener, whatever your level of expertise. For more info see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
A Pixiu Production
With autumn drawing closer and closer, we’re exploring late summer gardens – with all their lushness, colour, and vibrancy — and considering what we can get up to in the garden now to set us up well for the next year. We visit RHS Garden Wisley to take a look at their seed collection process – and get their tips for how to replicate this all at home. We chat with kitchen gardener and food writer Kathy Slack about how we can get the best out of the fruit and veg we’ve grown this summer. And finally, garden historian Twigs Way joins us again to share the second part of her allotment series all about their history from the early 1900s until today.
Links:
RHS Members’ Seed Scheme
RHS Grow Your Own
From the Veg Patch
Tales from the Veg Patch Newsletter
Festival of Flavours
Allotments
Today’s show focuses on specific ways we can rewild gardens. We’re exploring how we can intervene in space spaces to create dynamic habitats – without using herds of free-roaming animals. Isabella Tree, co-author of The Book of Wilding and one of the foremost rewilding experts in the UK, chats about her own experiences rewilding her estate and her top tips for getting into a wilder mindset. We’re then shifting gears a bit – turning away from specific practices, to look at some of the fauna pivotal to our natural ecosystems. We visit RHS Garden Wisley to hear the curious case of the roman snail colony there. And finally, we catch up with Lloyd of the Flies Creator Matt Walker and RHS Entomologist Andy Salisbury to learn about the new family-friendly insect trails across all of our gardens.
Links:
The Book of Wilding
Roman Snails at Wisley
Summer holiday fun at RHS Gardens
It’s National Allotment Week – a time to celebrate our country’s vast network of allotment plots and re-invest in our own dedication to growing fruit and veg. So for this week’s show, we’re taking a wander through a variety of allotments, getting a behind-the-scenes look at the techniques growers use to get the best out of their crops and examining the ways allotments help us better connect to the food we eat. We return to RHS Chief Horticulturist Guy Barter’s allotment in Surrey, where he shares this season’s successes and failures. We stop by RHS Garden Wisley’s Student and Community allotments to have a look at the different approaches taken there. And finally, we get the history of how allotments became commonplace here in the UK from garden historian and writer Twigs Way.
Links:
Allotment: getting started
Grow Your Own Advice
Tomato blight
Allotments by Twigs Way
With the grand opening of Wisley’s Orchid House this past month and the publication of The Orchid Review – our annual orchid yearbook – within reach, we thought it the perfect time for another Orchid Special. In this week’s show, we chat with Julian Shaw, who heads the International Orchid Register, Reshma Lobo, a London-based jewel orchid grower, Art Chadwick who breeds the cattleyas named for American First Ladies, and Kevin Wigley, who’s transformed a room in his house into an orchid sanctuary.
Links:
The Orchid Review
The International Orchid Register
Ugly Plantling
Chadwick & Sons
The Orchid Committee
Now that it’s late July and the whole family’s around, we thought it the perfect time to explore gardening with kids and to reflect on our own memories of growing up in gardens, allotments, and parks. We visit the Hitchin Youth Allotment – Paul Dee, the founder, will share the story of the project as well as his top tips for growing fruit and veg with kids. Afterwards Fiona Davison, RHS Head of Libraries and Exhibitions, recounts the constantly evolving history of the role that children have played in our gardens – and how this relates to societal and cultural shifts. And finally Roy Lancaster, renowned plantsman and broadcaster, divulges the tale of the epic plant discovery he made as a young boy in Lancashire. A discovery that propelled him into the world of horticulture.
Links:
RHS Campaign for School Gardening
The Garden Magazine
Hitchin Youth Allotment
Growing Up in the Garden Exhibition
RHS Flower Show Tatton Park is finally here! And we’re taking you on a tour of some of the highlights. We’re speaking with young designers like Camellia Hayes and Nathan Webster, exploring the new Sensory Long Border displays, and taking in the extraordinary RHS Nocturnal Pollinator Experience. But that’s not all! Because it’s the final flower show we’re covering on the podcast this summer, we’re putting all the emerging trends we’ve noticed at Tatton in context with themes from the other shows we’ve covered this year.
Links: Discover RHS Flower Show Tatton Park
Seeking Resilience Garden
Sensory Long Borders
RHS Nocturnal Pollinator Experience
Off the Grid Garden
This week, we’ll be exploring a few of our cultivated genera and species that, for a variety of reasons, have gone out of style. We’ll hear about Plant Heritage’s Threatened Plant of the Year competition, take you to the beautiful garden of horticultural legend Roy Lancaster to get a tour of his most-cherished aucubas, chat with Wisley curator Matthew Pottage on why we should give Parthenocissus a chance, and finally, take a trip down memory lane with author Naomi Slade. Naomi will be telling us all about the history of the lilac’s bumpy ride in the popularity stakes.
Links: The Plant Review
Plant Heritage
RHS’s National Plant Collections
Lilacs: Beautiful Varieties for Home and Garden
It’s the 30th anniversary of the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival and it’s looking better than ever. There’s a magnificent Floral Marquee filled with displays from over 80 nurseries, a Festival of Roses boasting several exciting new cultivars, models of allotment growing, creative show gardens, and star-studded talks all week long – to name but a few of the features that make this festival an annual favourite among gardeners. For this week’s episode, we’re bringing you the highlights. We’re chatting with imaginative designers like Zoe Claymore and Jo Thompson, and we’re taking you inside the Floral Marquee and Festival of Roses to get advice from the UK’s best nurseries.
Links:
RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival
RHS Wildlife Garden
The Wildlife Trusts: Renters’ Retreat
David Austin Roses
The Harkness Rose Company
It’s peak summer – a time when many of our flowers are flourishing, adorning our gardens with bright colours and sweet, rich fragrances. We’ve gone from nurturing our gardens to flipping the switch – sitting back and letting them fill us with joy. So, this week we’ve decided to celebrate that with an episode dedicated to flowers. Author and gardener Ben Dark will be explaining why Verbena bonariensis is our horticultural salt, writer and lily-lover Naomi Slade will be sharing her favourite Lilium varieties, and finally, botanist Barry Clarke will make the case for including flowering dogwoods in our gardens.
Links:
The Grove: A Nature Odyssey in 19 ½ Front Gardens
Lilies: beautiful varieties for home and garden
The Garden magazine
Sir Harold Hillier Gardens
Ungardening isn’t the antithesis of gardening – instead, it’s about taking a new perspective on what tending to the earth can look like. And that’s a fitting theme for today’s show, as it’s chock full of stories that force us to look at things with fresh eyes. We’re getting handy and slightly unusual tips from RHS advisors on June grow-your-own problems. Then, we’re heading to RHS Garden Wisley’s orchard to hear the latest on their brand new fast-growing habitats. And finally, we’re chatting with Garden Museum curator Emma House about how artist Jean Cooke explored the concept of “ungardening” through her paintings. Links: Jobs to do in June Trees! What are they good for? Jean Cooke: Ungardening
As we get closer and closer to the official start of summer, the fragrances of our favourite flora are reaching a fever pitch. So for today’s show, we decided to focus on the many smells of our June gardens. In this aromatic deep dive, we’ll chat with renowned garden designer Isabel Bannerman on crafting a balanced but sweet-smelling summer plot, we’ll hear about the favourite Lathyrus cultivars of sweet pea supremo Roger Parsons, and finally, we’ll end with a mystery. Urban naturalist and author Bob Gilbert is back on the show to discuss the curious story of how a favourite scented flower of the Victorians lost its hallmark smell.
Links:
Scent Magic Lathyrus: The Complete Guide The Missing Musk: A Casebook of Mysteries from the Natural World
It’s June and our gardens are now in full swing. It’s a wonderful time of year – that perfect sweet spot where we can start to take in the fruits of our spring labour, while still looking ahead to the wonders yet to come. And so this week, we’ll be focusing on what you can keep on doing to ensure your garden flourishes all summer long. We’ll be chatting with Alessandro Vitale about the plant that inspired him to grow – chillies, hearing from entomologist Seirian Sumner on the surprising benefits of wasps in June, and checking in with Caroline Williamson at RHS Garden Bridgewater on how we can keep our soil happy and healthy this summer.
Links:
Rebel Gardening: A Beginner’s Handbook to Organic Gardening
Endless Forms: The Secret World of Wasps
How to care for your soil
Veg growing from Brooklyn to Basingstoke This week's programme is dedicated to vegetable growing. You can grow veg almost anywhere - as New Yorker Kofi Thomas proves with his inspirational story of how he created The Good Life Garden from a former dumping ground in the heart of Brooklyn. It's a project that has improved the lives of thousands of Long Island residents and has distributed literally tons of fresh homegrown fruit and veg to people in need.
Regular presenters Guy Barter and Verity Battyll of RHS Garden Wisley offer seasonal veg growing tips and share their successes and failures growing unusual crops in the UK climate. Plus Kamal Bell, CEO of Sankofa Farms in North Carolina tells us all about a crop that's close to his heart - okra.
Useful links
- RHS Grow Your Own - edible gardening hub
- The Good Life Garden
- RHS Garden Wisley
- Sankofa Farms
A magical airborne plant, elderflowers and the origins of hybrids This week we're working with plants through time and across the world. Author and previous guest on the show Jonathan Drori explores more incredible plants from across the globe, including Tillandsia (Spanish moss) from the American Deep South. It's a mysterious relative of the pineapple plant that has almost no roots yet is woven into the history and culture of the southern states. > Historian Fiona Davison tells the story of Thomas Fairchild, a London man who made the first ever intentional plant hybrid. Plus Anna Greenland presents the last of our grow-your-own beverages series with a look at elderflower.
Useful links: ►Find out more about tillandsias (also known as Spanish moss or airplant) ►Find suppliers of elder plants
Contributors: ►Fiona Davison, Head of RHS Libraries and Exhibitions ►Jonathan Drori, author of Around the World in 80 Plants ►Anna Greenland, author of Grow Easy
New Year's resolutions, top 5 plants, sustainable GYO Happy New Year from the RHS podcast team! This week's programme is all about looking forward to a green and pleasant 2022. Wisley’s Guy Barter and Verity Battyll discuss their 5 must-grow plants for 2022, while gardening advisor James Lawrence shares his top 5 seasonal jobs. Plus RHS editor and allotmenteer Gareth Richards offers advice on how to grow fruit and veg in a sustainable way.
Useful links:
- How to grow nerines
- What to do with your old Christmas tree
- Gardening for the environment
Selected plants mentioned
- Good King Henry - Chenopodium bonus-henricus
- Tiger nuts - Cyperus esculentus
- Nerine bowdenii
Unseen garden heroes, a rose for John and spuds to savour What a year 2021 has been for gardening! We've had weird weather, an autumn Chelsea Flower Show, a peat ban, RHS Bridgewater opening… the list goes on. This week we're looking back to some of our podcast highlights, including delving into the tiny but terrifying world of parasitic wasps with RHS Wisley scientist Magdalena Boshoff who explains how these insects do an amazing job destroying garden pests.
Zehra Zaidi tells the story of how she helped name a rose after a trailblazing black gardener - the first rose to be named after an ethnic minority Briton. Allotmenteer and YouTuber Mothin Ali (@MyFamilyGarden) shares tips on growing the perfect potato and RHS Chief Horticulturist Guy Barter gazes into his crystal ball and gives his predictions for gardening in 2022. Plus garden designers Ann-Marie Powell, Humaira Ikram and Lee Burkhill share their thoughts on what they'll be focusing on next year.
Mistletoe, winter garden plants and a homegrown cocktail This week's programme is bursting with seasonal greenery. Award-winning writer and RHS blogger Graham Rice explains how to grow a Yuletide favourite and one of our most mysterious native plants – mistletoe. Then we hop 'over the pond' for the latest in our Hidden Horticulturists series to explore the life of one of the 20th century's greatest botanists: holly expert Dr Shiu-Ying Hu.
Meanwhile back at RHS Garden Wisley, Verity Battyll describes her favourite plants to brighten up winter gardens, and Devon-based food writer Mark Diacono shares his personal recipe for a delicious homegrown lemon verbena cocktail.
Useful links
- Grow your own mistletoe
- Dr Shiu-Ying Hu
- RHS Garden Wisley
- Find out more about hellebore breeding
- See our Popular plants pages for more info on hollies, hellebores and other winter plants
- Sour - a book by Mark Diacono
How gardening helps build mental and physical health When a successful lawyer suffered a debilitating stroke, it turned her life upside down. Meet Bhupinder Sohanpal as she explains how she rebuilt herself through gardening with the help of the Wisley Community Allotments programme.
The Horticultural Therapy Trust is a charity which uses gardening to help support people facing long-term mental health issues and brain injuries: its Project Manager Deb Hoskin tells the stories of some of the people who've benefitted.
Plus, organic food grower Anna Greenland shares a recipe for a traditional homegrown, home-made winter pick me up – fire cider.
Useful links
- Gardening for health and wellbeing (RHS website)
- The Horticultural Therapy Trust
- Wisley Community Allotments
- Grow Easy by Anna Greenland (book)
A celebration of gardening books and garden writing Cold winter nights are the perfect time to get reading, so this week’s podcast is a celebration of gardening books and garden writing. Writer and BAFTA award-winning TV producer Jonathan Drori takes us around the world in 80 plants while RHS authors Fiona Davison and Gareth Richards discuss their favourite books of the year. Plus a look at how gardening newsletters are bringing fresh ideas to the horticultural world.
Useful links: ►RHS bookshop ►Radicle newsletter ►RHS libraries ►Borrow E-books
Books mentioned in this programme:
Around the World in 80 Plants – Jonathan Drori
Flower-Name Fancies – Guy-Pierre Fauconnet
RHS Weeds – Gareth Richards
The Hidden Horticulturists – Fiona Davison
Vegetables: The Definitive Guide for Gardeners – Roger Phillips and Martyn Rix
How to Garden the Low-Carbon Way – Sally Nex
Spirit of Place – Susan Owens
Tropical Plants and How to Love Them – Marianne Willburn
Allies beneath our feet, in the trees and the plant-hunter you've never heard of Did you know that there are 30 different species of worm in the UK? Or that fungi can actually help create habitats for wildlife? This week we're exploring the roles played these crucial but often overlooked garden residents. Back indoors we meet a hidden hero of horticulture - ‘likely the most prolific botanical explorer of the early 20th century’. Staff from RHS Garden Wisley and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh join forces to tell his story.
Useful links: ►Find out more about earthworms ►Worm composting advice ►A hidden hero of horticulture: Zhao Chengzhang
Contributors: Andrew Salisbury, Jassy Drakulic, Leonie Paterson and Yvette Harvey
The tastiest and hardiest kale varieties grow and how to beat the winter cold with a warming and delicious sloe gin Learn how to grow winter veg staple (and superfood) kale with RHS expert Guy Barter, who recommends the best varieties and explains how to keep problems at bay. There's also great advice on when and how to protect tender plants from the winter cold, and chef Mark Diacono tells us how to make delicious and warming sloe gin from the fruit of the blackthorn bush.
Useful links: ►How to grow kale Kale varieties mentioned: Tuscan kale - 'Cavolo Nero' or 'Nero di Toscana') 'Redbor' ►How to lift or mulch tender plants ►How to wrap tender plants ► Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)
Contributors: ►Mark Diacono ►Guy Barter
Feeding footballers, growing behind bars and Edible Estates Kuda Chimbudzi is a superstar gardener, growing healthy fruit and veg for the Premier League footballers at Tottenham Hotspur FC. Our resident gardening guru Guy Barter heads to north London to check out his award-winning kitchen garden at the club's grounds.
Plus we meet Lucy Vincent of Food Behind Bars – a charity that's trying to improve the lives and diets of prisoners through growing food; and Greig Robertson from Edible Estates in Edinburgh, an organisation creating neighbourhood plots to bring fresh food to disadvantaged communities.
Useful links:
- Read more about the kitchen garden at Tottenham Hotspur FC
- The Garden magazine
- Food Behind Bars
- Edible Estates
- RHS Flourish Fund
Spring colour from the bulb that changed the world From smuggled wealth hidden in the pockets of 17th-century refugees to imperial beheadings and long treks up freezing, desolate mountainsides… there's more to the humble tulip than you might think. And as the nights draw in, now is the perfect time to get planting these spring favourites.
Garden designer Humaira Ikram shares her favourite varieties and ways of using them, and we head to Cambridge University Botanic Garden to discover a unique collection of species tulips and talk about their origins. Plus historian Fiona Davison tells the tale of how tulip mania shaped the history of Europe and gripped the Ottoman Empire to deadly effect.
Saying farewell to fossil fuels and a new way to design You might think of gardening as an intrinsically green activity, but our verdant hedges and lush lawns can cause some very dirty habits. In an eye-opening interview, low-carbon gardening expert Sally Nex gives the lowdown on how ditching petrol power tools is important for the health of both gardeners and our planet.
Plus we head to COP26 host city Glasgow to discover a pioneering urban seed library that helps create resilience in local food systems. And in Cornwall we meet artist Dr Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg who's created an inter-species installation using an algorithm to create gardens designed from the perspective of pollinating insects, rather than humans.
Useful links: ►How to grow a low-carbon garden ►Why should I garden with the environment in mind? ►Find out more about the RHS Sustainability Strategy ►Glasgow Seed Library ►Pollinator Pathmaker by Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg
Contributors: ►Sally Nex ►Rowan Lear ►Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg
Unearthing the way to greener indoor gardening and discovering the split personalities of a common garden pest This week we meet Harriet Thompson, who's spearheading an eco-friendly revolution in houseplant growing. RHS scientist Jassy Drakulic explains the latest thinking on an extremely common garden problem, honey fungus. Plus Will Rogers of the State Botanical Garden of Georgia shares his unique approach to conserving the fabulous native flora of the Southeastern USA.
Useful links: ►Gardening without peat ►RHS houseplants hub ►RHS advice on honey fungus ►List of honey fungus resistant plants
Contributors: ►Harriet Thompson ►Gareth Richards ►Jassy Drakulic ►Will Rogers ►Guy Barter
A rose fit for a hero, autumn bloomers and fascinating fragrance It's almost a year since Zehra Zaidi told us the remarkable story of John Ystumllyn, an 18th century African gardener in North Wales, as part of our Hidden Horticulturists series. This week she's back with the joyful news of a new rose that has just been launched to commemorate his life. It's believed to be the first rose named after an ethnic minority Briton.
Author Simon Morley tells how a fusion of Chinese and European rose species created the repeat-flowering garden roses we know and love today, and Julia Bridger of Keyneston Mill in Dorset explains the history and selection of roses grown for fragrance.
Useful links> ►How to grow roses ►Hear the story of John Ystumllyn ►Harkness Roses ►Zehra Zaidi –We Too Built Britain ►Simon Morley: By Any Other Name ►Keyneston Mill ►Find rose suppliers online
Selected roses mentioned: 'John Ystumllyn', 'Lady Hillingdon', 'Maigold', Rosa damascena, Rosa centifolia, 'Champagne Moment', 'Hot Chocolate', 'Enchantress'
Chilean guavas, blueberries, myrtles and more Discover the brilliant berries you can grow at home. RHS Editor Gareth Richards talks to Guy Barter about his experiences growing exciting novelties such as Chilean guavas and juneberries, while allotmenteer Kirsty Ward offers first-hand advice on growing blueberries.
Anna Greenland is a cook and gardener to Michelin-starred chefs; she shares favourite berry-based recipes and her star varieties of strawberry. Plus RHS historian Fiona Davison explores the fascinating history of British gooseberry growing.
Useful links: ►RHS grow your own: fruit A–Z ►Blueberry growing guide ►Alexis Nikole @blackforager a guide to making aronia berry hot sauce ►Gooseberries ►Chilean guava ►Find plant suppliers online
Selected plants mentioned: ►Juneberries (Amelanchier alnifolia, A. lamarckii and others) ►Chilean guavas (Ugni molinae) ► Elaeagnus multiflora, E. umbellata ►Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa, A. x prunifolia) ►Strawberries 'Gariguette', 'Malling Centenary', 'Malwina' ►Alpine strawberries 'Mignonette', 'White Soul', 'Alexandria' ►Gooseberries 'Captivator' and 'Xenia'
Contributors: Guy Barter, Gareth Richards, Kirsty Ward, Anna Greenland, Fiona Davison
Tales of two RHS students who broke the mould Rakes and rhinestones, wigs and water butts… Daisy Desire the Drag Queen Gardener explains how she's bringing a touch of glamour to the potting shed and hopes to attract new audiences to gardening. Back at Wisley, RHS Gardening Advisors Chris Taylor and Michaela Freed give a seasonal update on how to get your garden looking great for the season ahead. Plus our resident history expert Fiona Davison tells the story of the mysterious Miss Harrisson, a horticultural high-achiever who, over a century ago, helped pave the way for women to break through into the world of professional gardening.
Useful links
- Daisy Desire on Instagram
- October gardening advice from the RHS
- RHS Libraries
- Study with the RHS
- Join the RHS
Champion trees, conifers for autumn colour, tree lore and more Dr Amy Jane Beer explores the marvels of all things arboreal – from the world's loneliest tree that also helped define our current geological era to the 400 year-old apple tree that inspired Newton's theory of gravity. Plus she takes a look at trees' wellbeing benefits too.
Curator Matt Pottage investigates the concept of Champion Trees, highlighting some of the magnificent specimens to be found at RHS Garden Wisley. And did you know that some conifers are deciduous and offer fabulous autumn colour? Matt is a conifer fanatic and shares some suggestions to light up your autumn garden.
And finally… there's a call for citizen scientists as we're on the hunt for a new tree pest with RHS scientist Jassy Draculik. Her 'Check a sweet chestnut' campaign seeks to track the spread of a recent arrival to Britain, the Oriental chestnut gall wasp. Tune in to find out how you can help protect our precious chestnut trees.
Selected plants mentioned:
- Cercidiphyllum japonicum (katsura or candyfloss tree)
- Liquidambar styraciflua 'Wisley King'
- Pinus coulteri (Coulter pine)
- Pseudolarix amabilis
Useful links
- More information on choosing and planting trees
- Check a sweet chestnut
- Visit RHS Garden Wisley
- Join the RHS for free visits to Wisley and to get your monthly copy of The Garden magazine
Join us for an inspiring delve into this Chelsea one-off - the year the famous flowers show took place in September Join us for an inspiring delve into this Chelsea one-off - the year the famous flower show took place in September. This year the show has some unique aspects to explore, including the gorgeous houseplant studios and the brand new balcony and container gardens.
Find out how to create pure garden escapism in even the smallest of spaces with designer Martha Krempel and hear how landscape architect James Smith made his balcony into a green oasis of calm. Designer of the tiny Pocket Forest Container Garden, Sara Edwards, explains how to think big in a small space!
Plus an in-depth interview with Arit Anderson on how her show garden will go on to have a special life after Chelsea, and a look into the RHS COP26 Garden that focuses on how gardeners can respond to climate change.
Useful links: ►[RHS COP26 Garden (https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show/Gardens/2021/rhs-cop26-garden)] ►Houseplant studios ►Chelsea's new balcony and container gardens ►The BBC One Show and RHS Garden of Hope
It's time to get your flower bulbs in the ground, and RHS expert Nikki Barker shares her top tips on what to plant and how to plant it for beautiful and long-lasting spring displays.
In an intimate conversation packed with gardening tips, author, broadcaster and kitchen garden guru Sarah Raven talks Arthur Parkinson, discussing everything from how their gardening friendship grew, to the edible and visual late-season glories of the ornamental kitchen garden*.
Plus Fiona Davison tells the tale of how a perplexing 19th-century botanical art mystery was solved.
Useful links: ►RHS advice: bulbs ►Sarah Raven on Instagram ►Arthur Parkinson on Instagram ►Grow your own fruit and veg ►La Botaniste – a lady in the margins
*To hear more from Sarah and Arthur, head over to the Grow, Cook, Eat, Arrange Podcast
The fascinating history of biological controls and how to use them in your garden If you’re looking for a sustainable way to control garden pests, delve into this episode on the weird and wonderful world of biological controls. RHS expert entomologist Andy Salisbury explores the fascinating history of how certain bugs and beasties were introduced as pest controls (with many successes… and some disasters), and food and nature writer Eugenia Bone explains how fungi have a potentially vital role. Plus, RHS scientist Magdelena Boshoff explains how to successfully apply nematodes to control pests in your garden.
Useful linksFind out more about biological controls, suppliers of biological controls and Mycorrhizal fungi.
What to sow and do now for a blooming autumn How do you get the best displays of autumn colour in your garden? Which flowers can you sow now for extra early displays next year? Are there any crops you can sow in September for late autumn harvests? Tune in for answers to these questions and many more in this a bumper edition of seasonal gardening advice from RHS experts. Plus Wisley horticulturist Alex Young shares tips on propagating houseplants.
Useful links: ►Find out more about growing trees and shrubs ►Houseplants ►Sowing hardy annual flowers in autumn ►Grow your own fruit and veg ►Join the RHS
Plants mentioned: Hydrangea quercifolia, Abelia grandiflora, Ceanothus 'Autumnal Blue', Gingko biloba, Sorbus 'Josph Rock', Parrotia persica 'Persian Spire', jewel orchids (Ludisia discolor and Macodes sanderianus), hardy annuals (Calendula officinalis, Nigella damascena, Cerinthe major), yellow rattle (Rhinanthus major/minor) - see RHS Find a plant for suppliers and more details
Whitefly study details: please contact mia.graham@stir.ac.uk
This week we're going wild for some of the daintiest, most airy and graceful plants out there - ornamental grasses. Author and RHS editor Gareth Richards shares his favourites and offers tips on how to use them in the garden. Eminent expert and nurseryman Neil Lucas takes us on a tour of one of the best grass gardens in the country, Knoll Gardens in Dorset.
Plus growing advice from RHS Gardening Advisor Nicky Barker, and we delve into the undergrowth to meet some grass-loving creatures - conehead crickets - with Brian Eversham of The Wildlife Trusts. In our houseplant series, Wisley horticulturist Alex Young tackles repotting.
Plants mentioned Grasses: Deschampsia, Hakonechloa macra, Calamagrostis, Pennisetum, Arundo donax, Carex oshimensis Evercolor Series, Molinia, Stipa gigantea, Panicum, Miscanthus, Festuca glauca, Poa, Sporolobus, Miscanthus 'Cindy' & 'Starlight', Miscanthus giganteus; Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra', Milium effusum 'Aureum', Festuca 'Elijah Blue'
Perennials: Rudbeckia, Echinacea, Verbena bonariensis, Aconitum, Scabiosa, wild carrot (Daucus carota)
See rhs.org.uk/findaplant
Discover grasses on the RHS website
Knoll Gardens
Children's outdoor adventures, a hidden horticulturist, houseplants and dried flowers We talk to Lucy Jones and Kenneth Greenway, authors of 'The Nature Seed – How to Raise Adventurous and Nurturing Kids' about ideas for how to engage your children in outdoor activities this summer. Author Abra Lee tells the story of Booker T. Washington, a leading African-American educator who brought horticultural learning opportunities to disenfranchised communities in the South in the late 19th century. Plus a look at picking the right houseplant with RHS Wisley's Alex Young and a guide to drying flowers at home with Raymond Gordon.
Contributors: Lucy Jones, Kenneth Greenway, Abra Lee, Alex Young, Raymond Gordon
Useful links:
- The Nature Seed – How to Raise Adventurous and Nurturing Kids
- Booker T. Washington (Wikipedia)
- Houseplant advice from the RHS
- Sunflowers Florist
- Join the RHS
Plant names: Anthurium warocqueanum, Sanseviera cylindrica
Growing for glory with climbing plants for fabulous flowers, wildlife and more This week we’re clambering for climbing plants, wading through wisteria and going eye-to-eye with one of the most contentious wall-huggers of the lot: ivy. Featuring barrow-loads of expert RHS advice on how to keep your climbers happy and full of flowers, plus tips on how to use them in your garden.
Featuring Matt Pottage (Curator of RHS Garden Wisley), garden designer Flo Headlam, RHS Gardening Advisor Becky Mealey and author Gareth Richards. Presented by Verity Bradbury.
Useful links:
- Discover climbers
- Jasmine
- Honeysuckle
- Climbing roses
- Ivy
- RHS Weeds - The beauty and uses of 50 vagabond plants
Plants mentioned
- Cobaea scandens
- Ipomoea 'Heavenly Blue'
- Lablab purpureus 'Ruby Moon'
- Trachelospermum jasminoides - evergreen star jasmine
- Hedera helix - ivy
Meeting the 'Veg King', top tips for super spuds, growing with kids and picking the perfect apple This week we're all about growing your own fruit and veg in a programme dedicated to allotments and the green-fingered people who tend them. We meet the 'Veg King', retired fisherman Gerald Stratford (@GeraldStrafor3) – who became an overnight internet sensation, bringing giant veg growing to the attention of a worldwide audience and even starring in a fashion campaign by Gucci.
Allotmenteer and YouTuber Mothin Ali (My Family Garden) shares top tips on growing potatoes while Kirsty Ward (@mylitttleallotment) gives advice on engaging children with gardening. Plus RHS Garden Wisley's resident fruit guru Jim Arbury offers expert advice on choosing an apple tree for your garden.
Useful links
- RHS Grow Your Own
- Gerald Stratford: Twitter, website
- Mothin Ali: YouTube channel, Dig it Out (campaign against racism in gardening)
- Kirsty Ward on Instagram
- RHS Garden Wisley
- RHS advice on growing apples
Enjoy a tour around RHS Garden Wisley’s Bowes-Lyon Rose Garden with its 4,500 roses and find out how to keep yours blooming until autumn. We discover how this iconic plant became the favourite (and least loved) flower among the British with historian Simon Morley, then author Gareth Richards sings the praises of a rose relative, the bramble, ‘nature’s frontline defender against man’. Finally, find out about the pest-busting wasp you definitely need in your garden this summer.
This week we're at the glorious Tatton Park in Cheshire, for a floral extravaganza like no other. From a rewilded garden taking inspiration from the wider Tatton Estate to beautifully designed small urban spaces full of clever ideas to save water, there's something for everyone. Plus top culinary tips from chef Sophie Gordon and food writer Mark Diacono who share ideas for homegrown feasts, full of unusual flavours.
Useful links
- RHS Flower Show Tatton Park
- RHS Chelsea Flower Show (September)
- Grow your own fruit and veg
- Water-saving gardening
- Join the RHS
Exploring exotic planting and the wonderful world of bonsai From lush and leafy banana plants to the delicate charms of the tiniest trees of all, this week's show is all about planting with a difference. We explore the weird, wild and wonderful Exotic Garden at Wisley, which is packed full of tropical-looking plants and ideas to steal for your own backyard paradise.
Tayshan Hayden-Smith, footballer and founder of the non-profit Grow2Know tells the story of how he came to discover and love what's probably the most dramatic plant you can grow outdoors in Britain. And if you've ever wished you could grow a tree but don't have the space, think again, as we take a look at bonsai with RHS expert Peter Goodchild.
Exotic plant list: Persicaria 'Red Dragon', cannas, ornamental ginger (Hedychium), hardy palm (Trachycarpus fortunei), dahlias, Pinus montezumae 'Sheffield Park', tithonia, gazania, Fatsia japonica, Fatsia polycarpa, echinaceas, tetrapanax (rice paper tree), toad lily (Tricyrtis), Bletilla (hardy orchid), Cautleya, calla lily (Zantedeschia), Tigridia, passion flower (Passiflora)
Hardy banana plant (also called Japanese banana) – Musa basjoo
Useful links
- Discover the Exotic Garden at RHS Wisley
- Exotic gardening inspiration
- Find plant suppliers online
- Grow2Know
- The Plant Review
- RHS advice: bonsai
- Discover the Bonsai Walk at RHS Garden Wisley
- RHS Flourish Fund
The RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival returns for 2021. And what a return it is! From world-class garden design talent to new ways of growing cabbages, there's something for everyone. We explore the show's no-dig gardens, community allotments and experience some lively debates between horticultural experts in the talks theatre. Plus an interview with a cut-flower grower who overcame multiple tragedies in 2020 to bring a heartwarming and colourful garden to this year's show.
Contributors
- Charles Dowding
- Stephanie Hafferty
- Lia Leendertz
- Bunny Guinness
- James Armitage
- Chris Young
- Carien van Boxtel
Useful links
- RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival
- No-dig gardening beginner's guide
- RHS no-dig allotment
- RHS Flower Show Tatton Park
- The Plant Review
- See Carien van Boxtel's cut flower garden
- RHS Grow Your Own
- Join the RHS
This week we’re exploring the relationship between art and gardens. Including an interview with award-winning designer Sarah Price who shares her experience of using art to inspire her RHS Chelsea gold medal winning gardens, and we visit a new David Hockney exhibition celebrating the arrival of spring in his garden in France. Plus plant-loving Instagrammers discuss how social media affects the way we garden and Curator of RHS Garden Wisley, Matthew Pottage, shares tips how to use sculpture in your home plot.
Contributors: Sarah Price, Fiona Davison, Ashley Nwokorie, Poppy Okotcha, Michael Perry, Caro Langton, Matthew Pottage
Useful links: ►David Hockney at the Royal Academy ►RHS Garden Wisley
In this week's programme we visit a brand new hotbed of horticultural research in the UK: RHS Hilltop – The home of gardening science. In the heart of RHS Garden Wisley, this state-of-the-art facility will house groundbreaking research into problems affecting real-life gardens, and offer visitors unique insights.
We meet award-winning designer Ann-Marie Powell who talks us through the stunning spaces surrounding the building, featuring an array of edibles and wildlife-friendly planting. Our resident history maven Fiona Davison shares the story of how Wisley ended up at the forefront of gardening science over a century ago. Plus a look at growing herbs with Sylvia Travers of RHS Garden Bridgewater.
Useful links:
- RHS Hilltop – The home of gardening science
- Discover RHS Garden Wisley
- RHS Digital collections - Mr Wilson's Wisley
- How to grow herbs
- Join the RHS
How to keep your garden looking great This week we head to RHS Garden Wisley for a bumper edition of summer gardening advice. Our RHS experts guide you through everything you need to know to keep your blooms blooming and your crops cropping all summer long, and what you can do now to ensure good results next year too.
Useful links
See our popular plants pages for info on wisteria, alstroemeria, daylillies / hemerocallis, alliums, kniphofia, rhododendrons and philadelphus
Grow your own - info on salads, broad beans, strawberries and more
Gardening advice search for info on dividing plants, fertilisers, mulching, watering and deadheading
Exploring a brand new RHS Garden in Greater Manchester Join us as we visit this incredible 154-acre garden in Salford, Greater Manchester. RHS Garden Bridgewater has been the biggest hands-on horticultural project undertaken in Europe since it got the go-ahead back in 2017. We go behind the scenes to meet the people who make it all happen, discovering horticultural gems galore as we go, including the unique Chinese Streamside garden.
Contributors: Sylvia Travers, Gerry Yeung, Chris Young, Fiona Davison, Sue Biggs, Tom Stuart-Smith, plus the wonderful garden staff and volunteers
For more information please visit the RHS Garden Bridgewater pages on the RHS website
Join the RHS for free unlimited visits to RHS Gardens
Please always follow current government advice when planning your visit.
Contributors: Mark Diacono (author, broadcaster and grower), Leigh Hunt (RHS Principal Horticultural Advisor), Fiona Davison (RHS Head of Libraries and Exhibitions), Advolly Richmond (independent researcher and broadcaster)
Useful links:
- RHS Grow Your Own
- Gardening for the environment
- Managing water in your garden
- RHS digital collections - including 'Lockdown Gardening'
- Community gardening projects
Pollinator-friendly gardening and two unsung heroes of horticulture Useful links
Contributors: Erica McAlister, Humaira Ikram, Sylvia Travers and Abra Lee.
- RHS Plants for Pollinators information
- See a list of pesticide-free nurseries (scroll to the bottom of the page)
- RHS Garden Bridgewater
- RHS grow your own veg (contains links to growing different types of beans)
Useful links
- RHS Virtual Chelsea Flower Show
- See Sarah Eberle's 2021 show garden
- Raymond Evison Clematis
- How to grow clematis
- Grow your own fruit and veg
- Join the RHS
Useful links:
- Bringing joy from tragedy - article on the RHS website about Horatio's Garden at Salisbury Hospital, designed by Cleve West
- Gardening for health & wellbeing (RHS website)
- Dig It Out - the campaign to tackle racism in gardening, started by Mothin Ali of My Family Garden YouTube channel
- See our new wildlife hub on the RHS website
- Wild About Gardens
- RHS Garden Bridgewater
- RHS Grow Your Own advice pages for all you need to know about growing fruit, veg and herbs
Useful links:
- How to go plastic free in your garden
- RHS Plastics Policy
- Gardening for the environment
- Happy Plants nursery (fuchsias, bedding plants & more)
- Search RHS gardening advice
- Get personalised gardening advice online (RHS members only)
- Join the RHS
Useful links & info * Pond plants mentioned – brooklime (Veronica beccabunga), water forget-me-not (Myosotis scorpioides), hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum), curled pondweed (Potamogeton crispus) * RHS advice on how to make a wildlife pond * RHS How to Create a Wildlife Pond – by Kate Bradbury * The Secret Lives of Garden Bees – by Jean Vernon * RHS website: Visit our new Gardening for the environment which includes lots of info on going chemical-free in your garden * Sweet peas: RHS website info on annual sweet peas and perennial (everlasting) sweet peas * RHS Plant Monographs * How to grow strawberries
Useful links
- RHS advice: cats in gardens
- RHS advice: potentially harmful plants
- RSPCA
- Dog-friendly days out - Walkies at RHS Garden Wisley
- Claire Ratinon on Instagram
- Leonardslee Gardens
- RHS Partner Gardens - use the 'Facilities' filter to find dog-friendly gardens
Notes: Lilies are toxic to cats; however cats are unlikely to be poisoned in the garden. The main risk comes from cut flowers indoors - if they brush against open flowers, pollen can be transferred to their fur and then ingested involuntarily as the cat grooms themselves. If you can't avoid growing lilies where cats are present, choosing pollen-free and double-flowered varieties will help you minimise risk, as will providing palatable, edible greens such as grass for cats to nibble on.
Miniature gardening indoors and out; gardening with children and a pioneering artwork Useful links
- RHS website: alpines
- RHS website: houseplants
- James Wong on Twitter / Instagram
- Portrait of a Black Gardener at the Garden Museum
- RHS website: gardening with children
- Join the RHS
Useful links
- RHS advice on lawns
- How to get started with a wildflower meadow (perennials in grass)
- How to grow a mini wildflower meadow (annual flowers)
- Listen to our 'Wildlife in winter' episode with wildflower meadow expert Jenny Steel
- The Garden magazine
- Join the RHS
How your choice of compost has a worldwide impact Useful links
- RHS website: explore our new peat hub - includes information on peat-free growing and the RHS's peat-free pledge
- Lancashire Peat Partnership
- Joshua Styles Instagram and Twitter
- North West Rare Plant Initiative
- Rebecca Pow MP
- Join the RHS
What to do in your garden now for a blooming brilliant 2021 Useful links
- RHS monthly gardening advice
- how to mow your lawn
- wildflower meadows
- sowing hardy seeds outdoors
- RHS houseplants hub
- discover dahlias
- The Garden magazine
- Join the RHS
How to garden without costing the earth Useful links
The Eden Project (currently scheduled to reopen on 17 May)
How to Garden the Low-Carbon Way - by Sally Nex
Charles Dowding (no-dig gardening)
George Washington Carver: An Uncommon Life (film documentary)
George Washington Carver National Monument
Paxton Williams - Assistant Attorney General at Iowa Department of Justice and authority on George Washington Carver
Get growing your own fruit, veg and spices Useful links
- The Garden magazine for RHS members
- Lucy Chamberlain (@HeadGardenerLC)
- Ashley Nwokorie (@AllotmentCafe)
- African kale (Garden Organic website)
- Taunton Deane perennial kale (Agroforestry Research Trust website)
- RHS Grow Your Own
- Szechuan pepper - Zanthoxylum simulans
- Mark Diacono (Mark_Diacono)
Note: Lucy's recommended veg for a hot, dry spot is agretti, Salsola soda [Guardian website]
Water-wise gardening from the ground up Useful links
- Water-wise gardening
- Janet's top tips for watering
- Plants for wet and dry soils
- Dear Mrs Chatto (podcast)
- Beth Chatto's Plants & Gardens
- Search RHS gardening advice
- Join the RHS
Daffodils – also known by their Latin name Narcissus – are true harbingers of spring, making a welcome appearance as the days lengthen. There are many thousands of varieties from tiny alpines to big and blowsy trumpets, as expert grower Ron Scamp explains, sharing his favourites along the way.
What's the difference between a bulb, corm and a tuber? RHS Gardening Advisor Charlotte Sweeney explains. In the latest part of our 'Hidden Horticulturists' series we uncover the story of 1913 Wisley graduate James Kirkham Ramsbottom who worked out a clever way to defeat a pest that was set to wipe out daffodils.
And finally, we meet a man growing daffodils high up in the Welsh mountains for an unusual reason: to make drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
Plants mentioned in this episode:
Narcissus obvallaris - Tenby daffodil (wild species)
Narcissus pseudonarcissus – Lent lily (wild species)
Ron Scamp's recommended cultivars
'Rijnveld's Early Sensation', 'Cornish King', 'Jetfire', 'February Gold', 'Rapture', 'Rosemoor Gold', 'Pipit'
Miniatures: 'Baby Moon', Narcissus minor
Useful links
- RHS website: daffodils
- Find daffodil suppliers
- Growing daffodils for medicinal use: Agroceutical
- Ron Scamp - Quality Daffodils
The inside scoop on tomatoes, houseplants and a clever tip Useful links
- How to grow tomatoes
- Claire Ratinon
- How to sow seeds indoors
- RHS houseplant hub
Useful links
- How to grow witch hazels (Hamamelis)
- Advice on choosing and growing roses
- Putnam & Putnam
- RHS Podcasts page
Butterflies, moles, making meadows and more Useful links: ►Butterflies in your garden ►Wildlife gardening ►RHS Gardens ►The Garden magazine ►How to get started with a wildflower meadow (perennials in grass) ►Make a mini meadow (annual flowers) ►RHS Find a plant ►Search RHS gardening advice
Contributors: ►Kate Bradbury, author and wildlife expert ►Chris Young, Editor of The Garden magazine ►Dr Andrew Salisbury, Principal RHS Entomologist ►Jenny Steel, ecologist and writer ►Derek Crawley, The Mammal Society
Useful links: ►Permaculture principles explained ►Edible flowers ►Poppy Okotcha ►RHS Garden Bridgewater ►Vera Greutink (Grown to Cook) ►Search RHS gardening advice
A note on wild plants mentioned: for Solomon's seal (Polygonatum multiflorum) it is the young shoots which are eaten cooked; and for certain species of Aquilegia it is the flowers. Be aware that just because one part of a plant is edible it doesn't mean the rest will be. Never eat a wild plant unless you are 100% sure of its edibility and identity.
Useful links: ►How to pick the right houseplant ►RHS houseplant hub ►Lee Burkhill garden design (Garden Ninja) ►Get to know your garden ►The Coastal Gardener (Gerry Price) ►Coastal gardening inspiration ►RHS Find a plant ►Search RHS gardening advice ►Browse houseplants at RHS Plants online shop
Selected houseplants mentioned:
- Light places: Agave, Echeveria, Kalanchoe, Crassula, succulents, Lantana, Plectranthus, Pelargonium
- Filtered light: Ficus benjamina, Dracaena, Alocasia, gardenias, orchids
- Shade: parlour palm, devil's ivy (Epipremnum), Philodendron scandens
- Humidity: ferns (Adiantum, Boston fern (Nephrolepis)), spider plant, Swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa), orchids
Useful links
- RHS help and advice on snowdrops
- Discover snowdrops at RHS Partner gardens
Selected snowdrop cultivars mentioned: 'Colossus', 'Comet', 'Magnet', 'Rosemary Burnham'
Garden visiting: Cambo Gardens is one of over 200 gardens in the UK and abroad that kindly allow free entry for RHS members (restrictions apply, please check https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/partner-gardens for more details). If you're planning a garden visit, please check that the garden is open before travelling and follow government guidelines, keeping your journey as short and local as possible.
Useful links
- Find suppliers of winter purslane
- RHS press release: Greener gardens promote healthier residents
- Gardening for health and wellbeing
Useful links:
- RHS advice on Christmas trees
- Schlumbergera (Christmas cactus)
- How to grow your own mistletoe
- RHS Find a plant
- Search RHS gardening advice
Useful links
- RHS Gardening in a Changing Climate – report summary and full report
- What can I do about climate change in my garden?
- Coping with climate change
- Search RHS advice
- Join the RHS for free personalised gardening advice
Favourite books of 2020
- The Garden Jungle – Dave Goulson
- RHS Your Wellbeing Garden – Alistair Griffiths & Matthew Keightley
- The Incredible Journey of Plants – Stefano Mancuso
RHS Online Exhibitions
- Gardening by the Book goes live for RHS Members on 17 December and for the general public a month later. See rhs.org.uk/digital-collections
Other titles mentioned
- The Lambs – Carol George
New titles
- On Psyche's Lawn – Alasdair Forbes
- How to Garden the Low-carbon Way – Sally Nex (published 2021)
- Orchard: A Year in England's Eden – Benedict Macdonald and Nicholas Gates
- Cucurbits – (multiple authors, published by CABI)
►For a full range of gardening books, please visit the RHS Bookshop.
Useful links
- RHS Partner Gardens
- Juliet Sargeant
- How to keep your garden looking good all year round
- RHS advice on poinsettias
Selected plants mentioned: Callicarpa bodinieri (beauty berry) Acer griseum (paperbark maple) Acer rufinerve (snakebark maple) Iris unguicularis (Algerian iris)
The story of an unsung horticultural hero, listeners' questions answered, plants and ants Useful links
- RHS advice on roses, passionflowers, herbs and grasses
- EK Janaki Ammal
- Dr Chris Thorogood
- RHS Find a plant
Selected plants mentioned: ►Roses 'A Shropshire Lad', 'Emily Brontë', 'Kew Gardens', Rosa rugosa ►Grasses Miscanthus 'Professor Richard Hansen', Panicum virgatum 'Northwind', Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster', Miscanthus malepartus ►Passionflowers Passiflora caerulea, P. 'Constance Elliott' ►Rhododendron yakushimanum 'Koichiro Wada'
Gardening at altitude, garden birds and airplants Selected plants mentioned
- Red alder, Alnus rubra
- Western hemlock Tsuga heterophylla
- Norway spruce Picea abies
- Sitka spruce Picea sitchensis
- Silver birch Betula pendula
- Larch Larix spp.
- Pines Pinus spp.
- Hawthorn Crataegus spp.
- Beech Fagus sylvatica
- Hornbeam Carpinus betulus
- Cut-leaf elder Sambucus 'Eva'
Useful links
- Air plants
- Windbreaks and shelterbelts
- Garden BirdWatch
- How to encourage birds into your garden
The secret season, hidden horticulturist, hedgehogs Useful links:
- Claire Austin, founder of nursery Claire Austin Hardy Plants
- Zehra Zaidi is founder of the We Too Built Britain campaign
- Helen Bostock is a Senior Horticultural Advisor for the RHS and author of 'How Can I Help Hedgehogs'
Useful links:
- RHS advice on houseplants
- RHS Partner Gardens
- Flo Headlam (Flo The Gardener)
- Join the RHS
Useful links: ►How to grow mistletoe ►A parasite at Wisley ►Search RHS gardening advice ►Get personalised gardening advice online (RHS members only) ►Join the RHS
Useful links: ►Wild About Weeds by Jack Wallington ►Indy Srinath ►How to identify common weeds ►RHS advice on Japanese knotweed ►Do Bees Need Weeds? by Holly Farrell & Gareth Richards ►RHS Find a plant ►Search RHS gardening advice
Useful links:
- Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds and Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake
- Ann Miller's Speciality Mushrooms
- Search RHS gardening advice
Useful links: ►RHS Campaign for School Gardening ►George Hassall ►Michelle Jones, School Gardening Champion of the Year 2019 ►Lee Connelly, Skinny Jean Gardener ►Search RHS gardening advice
Useful links: ►Discover bulbs ►Tulip fire ►Award of Garden Merit (AGM) ►Organic gardening ►*How to grow your dinner without leaving the house by Claire Ratinon ►Get personalised gardening advice online (RHS members only) ►Join the RHS
Selected plants mentioned: Scilla siberica, Crocus tommasinianus, crocus 'Snow Bunting', crocus 'Golden Yellow'; daffodil 'Carlton', daffodil 'Salome', daffodil 'Misty Glen', tulip 'Honky Tonk', Gladiolus byzantinus, daffodil 'February Gold', daffodil 'Tête à Tête', Narcissus poeticus (pheasant's eye narcissus) ►RHS Find a plant
Useful links:
- RHS advice on water use
- RHS advice on mulching
- Grow your own fruit and veg
- RHS Grow at Home (thrifty gardening week starts 21 Sept)
Plants mentioned
RHS advisors: Violas, citrus, Sambucus (purple-leaf elders)
Flo the Gardener: Phlomis russelliana , Pittosporum 'Arundel Silver Queen', Deutzia, Hydrangea paniculata, fatsias, mahonias, figs, rodgersias, phormiums, Nerine bowdenii, Hesperantha, rudbeckias, Helianthus, Salvia 'Amistad', Salvia 'Purple Majesty', Salvia 'Ostfriesland'
Useful links
- Taking cuttings
- Overwintering plants
- Hedge cutting
- Plant bulbs in a pot
- Growing citrus
- RHS heritage apple hub
- Flo The Gardener
- RHS Find a plant
Useful links
Indy Srinath, founder of BIPOC Community Urban Farm Fund
Dr Chris Thorogood botanist at Oxford University
Juliet Sargeant, garden designer (Juliet's plant is Hebe parviflora var. angustifolia
This week we’re exploring the colourful world of floral arrangements. We’re taking a journey from the field to the florist, starting with sustainable British grower Cel Robertson from Forever Green Flower Company. Then, we’re heading to one of the most famous floral centres in the world, New Covent Garden Market, to hear about its history. We’re meeting florist to the stars Simon Lycett in LA as he shares some of his career highlights: from arranging royal wedding flowers, to film set bouquets. Plus we finish with some top tips from our advisory team on how to grow spectacular cut flowers at home.
The transformative power of gardening has never been more evident – or more necessary – than it is now. This week guest presenters TV gardener Danny Clarke and Alana Cama from the RHS Campaign for School Gardening explore communal urban gardens tackling inequality and food poverty in Los Angeles with activist Indy Srinath.
Closer to home we meet Tayshan Hayden-Smith. He's CEO of Grow2Know, a non-profit organisation born from the ashes of the Grenfell Tower disaster, that now empowers young people through horticulture. Tayshan talks about breaking through the barriers to make gardening and horticulture truly inclusive and sharing their amazing benefits for health and wellbeing with everyone. Plus a look at what the RHS is doing to promote community gardening across the country.
Useful links: ►Get involved in community gardening ►Britain in Bloom ►The Big Soup Share ►It's Your Neighbourhood ►Grow2Know
To celebrate National Allotments Week, this week's show is a bountiful banquet of home-grown delights. RHS Hyde Hall's exotic veg gardener extraordinaire, Matthew Oliver, talks to gardening advisor Rebekah Mealey about aphids, how to time your seed sowing and advice for veg-growing newbies. Katherine Potsides, Head of RHS Shows Development, shares her love of thyme and favourite ways to use it. Star chef David Zilber, co-author of 'The Noma Guide to Fermentation' explains how to harness the power of microbes to preserve your homegrown harvests.
Useful links: National Allotment Society; RHS grow your own; Discover the Global Growth Vegetable Garden at Hyde Hall; David Zilber on Instagram
Seed saving can be a powerful and life-affirming act – permaculture designer Poppy Okotcha shares her thoughts on how and why we should all be saving our own seeds. Resident gardening guru Leigh Hunt dispenses timely gardening advice with his top 10 jobs for August, and RHS advisors discuss rain gardens. Plus: how long can seeds and plants last? Dr Chris Thorogood of Oxford Botanic Garden reveals some surprising facts.
Useful links: ►How to save seeds ►Poppy Okotcha ►Gardening advice for August ►Rain gardens ►Chris Thorogood ►Search RHS gardening advice
Did you know that the lotus leaf inspired the creation of self-cleaning glass and paints? Or that some tropical carnivorous plants get so big they can eat shrews? Plant hunter and scientist Dr Chris Thorogood shares some of the incredible floral feats that made him fall in love with plants. Garden writer Pattie Barron recounts a meeting with plant that makes a fragrant waterfall of edible foliage with an unmistakeable Mediterranean ambience.
Useful links: ►Dr Chris on Twitter ►Terry Richardson on Instagram ►Search RHS gardening advice
Useful links: ►Tatton Park at Home ►Horticultural Careers hub ►Young Designer of the Year ►RHS Master Grower: Plantagogo ►Search RHS gardening advice ►Find plant suppliers (includes mail order)
This week's programme is dedicated to perhaps the quintessential foliage plant, the fern. Firstly, garden designer Danny Clarke (aka The Black Gardener) shares his love of the majestic tree fern, Dicksonia antarctica. Then we head into the dark and mysterious Stumpery at RHS Garden Rosemoor to meet a magnificent cast of ferns luxuriating in the cool, moist conditions there.
Author and journalist Richard Mabey explores a fern frenzy that swept Victorian Britain, the catchily-named Pteridomania. And finally, RHS horticultural advisor Jenny Bowden offers hints and tips on how to get the best out of ferns in your garden.
Useful links: ►All about ferns ►Discover Dryopteris ►The Stumpery at RHS Garden Rosemoor ►Search RHS gardening advice ►Find plant suppliers (includes mail order)
Writer, broadcaster and houseplant obsessive James Wong encourages us to face our fear of killing plants and reap the incredible benefits of indoor gardening. There's never been a better time to think outside the (plant) pot, curating miniature worlds at home and getting creative with alternative planting spaces such as terrariums.
Head of RHS Libraries Fiona Davison explores the history of plant medicine prior to next week's launch of the Healing Garden online exbitition. Erin Lovell Verinder, author of Plants for the People: A Modern Guide to Plant Medicine shares some of the herbal remedies that might just be lurking in our own garden weeds. Plus therapeutic gardener Ozichi Brewster outlines her pioneering social prescribing project at RHS Garden Bridgewater near Manchester.
Useful links: ►Gardening for health and wellbeing ►How to pick the right houseplant for you ►Healing Garden online exhibition (currently only available to RHS members; public access starts in August) ►Join the RHS ►Plants for the People: A Modern Guide to Plant Medicine ►NHS advice on herbal medicines ►RHS Bridgewater – Helping people to better health
This week we're gardening on barges, balconies and in bathrooms in a programme dedicated to urban gardening. Writer Alice Vincent dispenses tips on plants, pots and more from her London balcony garden 40ft above the ground. Freddie Blackett of Patch Plants talks about the changing ways we're buying and using houseplants, and permaculture designer Poppy Okotcha shares her experiences gardening on a houseboat in the heart of the city.
Useful links: ►Balcony garden inspiration ►More info on houseplants ►Gardening for wellbeing ►Search RHS gardening advice
Contributors: Alice Vincent (author of Rootbound); Freddie Blackett (CEO of Patch Plants); Poppy Okotcha (permaculture designer & organic/no-dig grower)
Useful links: ►Barbados Horticultural Society at Chelsea 2019 ►Follow Danny Clarke on Twitter ►Follow Chris Thorogood on Twitter ►Bold and exotic planting inspiration ►Gardening for health and wellbeing
This week we're talking all things edible with a programme entirely devoted to growing your own fruit and vegetables. Award-winning garden designer Juliet Sargeant shares veg garden wisdom in a piece that's a must-listen for anyone starting out on a homegrown journey. Allotment holder and Instagram gardener Kirsty Ward shares her life-long love of gooseberries, along with tips on how to grow them. Plus the RHS Gardening Advice Team answer listeners' questions on crop rotation, Florence fennel and growing veg in the shade.
Useful links: ►See Juliet's RHS Kitchen Garden ►Juliet Sargeant website ►Grow your own fruit and veg ►How to grow gooseberries ►Florence fennel ►Kirsty Ward on Instagram ►Search RHS gardening advice
This week we have an ode to oaks as we celebrate grandfather of British native trees. Wisley Curator Matthew Pottage shares his personal love for Quercus, and wisdom on how to garden with them.
Professor Fiona Stafford from the University of Oxford, (author of 'The Long, Long Life of Trees') reveals their history and folklore. Plus Nikki Barker from the RHS Gardening Advice team offers extra advice on ways to use oaks in your garden.
Useful links: ►Explore Oakwood at RHS Garden Wisley ►RHS plant finder ►RHS gardening advice on oak pests and diseases
This week we're talking green roofs with designer Ula Maria (past winner of the RHS Young Designer of the Year competition). We have part two of our chat about houseplants with biophilic designers and Virtual Chelsea exhibitors Studio Roco; plus the Gardening Advice team answer members' queries on dealing with lily beetle, groundcover shade planting and growing olives.
Useful links: ►Green roofs ►How to pick the right houseplant for you ►Studio RoCo at Virtual Chelsea ►Lily beetle ►Groundcover plants ►Growing olives ►Xylella ►RHS find a plant: olive (Olea europaea)
Olive-like plants: ►Phillyrea angustifolia ►Elaeagnus umbellata ►Maytenus boaria
Plants might not seem like front-line weapons in our fight to stay healthy, but as our contributors to this week's programme show, green is good for everything from coronavirus to PTSD.
Kirsty Ward tells the story of how she used an allotment to help her rebuild her mental health after being diagnosed with PTSD following a traumatic childbirth experience. Nurse Kate Tantam (who cared for the 84 year old explorer we featured in last week's show as he was recovering from Covid-19) explains how and why hospital gardens are so good for patients. Plus RHS Young Ambassador George Hassall shares his love of Japanese maples.
Useful links
►@my_ little_ allotment (Kirsty Ward on Instagram)
►@TantamKate (Kate Tantam on Twitter)
►Gardening for wellbeing
►Virtual Chelsea
►George Hassall RHS Ambassador
►Discover acers / Japanese maples
►Search RHS gardening advice
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2020 Show Manager Katherine Potsides takes us on a tour of this year's virtual version of the 'Greatest Flower Show on Earth'. Featuring biophilic design from Studio Roco, who give houseplant tips and talk us through their inspiration from artist, film-maker and activist Derek Jarman's renowned seaside garden in Kent. Meanwhile, Fiona Davison, RHS Head of Libraries, explores the show's history and origins, including a look at how the gardens have changed over time.
Award-winning designer Tom Massey tells the tale of how unused Chelsea plants have brought joy from tragedy. After the show's cancellation was announced, they were planted in a hospital garden – with transformative results. One patient in particular felt the benefit: seeing this new garden literally gave Robin Hanbury-Tenison (an 84 year-old famous explorer) a new lease of life after his long battle with Covid-19.
Useful links: ►Virtual Chelsea ►Gardening for health and wellbeing
This week Chelsea designer Jilayne Rickards and agricultural entrepreneur Beauty Gombana share the stories behind Jilayne's Zimbabwean-themed garden 'Giving Girls a Space to Grow', created for female education charity CAMFED. The advice team answers listeners' questions on subjects including taking cuttings, growing rubber plants and how to improve soil without buying compost. Plus designer Sarah Eberle's ode to the hawthorn tree.
Useful links: ►'Giving Girls a Space to Grow' Chelsea garden ►The story behind the garden ►CAMFED ►Garden inspiration: How to pick the right houseplant for you ►RHS advice: Choosing houseplants ►Penstemons ►How to propagate plants (including cuttings) ►Hawthorns
Lots of us are drawing on creative pastimes as a way of getting through the current situation. This week we speak to artist, scientist, author and Deputy Director of the Oxford Botanic Garden, Dr Chris Thorogood. Chris shares his fascination with weird and wonderful plants and offers some expert tips on how to paint and draw them. Fiona Davison explores the history of botanical art at what is generally considered the world's biggest collection of plant paintings, the RHS Lindley Library.
Young RHS Ambassador George Hassall is also a fan of plants that bite back, and he tells us about his passion for the gruesomely beautiful pitcher plants, Nepenthes. And finally… our resident allotment guru Guy Barter talks to gardening advisor Leigh Hunt about cunning ways to beat seed shortages and grow your own at home.
Useful links: ►Chris Thorogood ►George Hassall (RHS Young Ambassador) ►RHS Lindley Libraries on Twitter ►Lockdown veg growing ►Grow your own ► Find plant suppliers (includes mail order)
As we approach International Dawn Chorus Day this Sunday (3rd May), we've decided to dedicate an entire episode of the podcast to our feathered friends. We meet the RSPB's Adrian Thomas, who orchestrated a top 40-charting single composed entirely of birdsong; RHS wildlife guru Helen Bostock offers advice on how to make your garden bird-friendly, and Dr John Grimshaw of The Yorkshire Arboretum shares his love of peafowl. Plus an unforgettable rook impression from RHS Chief Horticulturist Guy Barter.
Useful links: How to make your garden bird-friendly, Dawn Chorus Day
Anna Greenland, former Head Vegetable Gardener at Raymond Blanc's renowned restaurant Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons shares experiences gained from years of growing veg and herbs for use in Michelin-star meals. Meanwhile Wisley Curator Matthew Pottage muses on monkey puzzles and RHS Gardening Advisor Rebekah Mealey heads into the garden with her daughter Faye to get growing too.
See rhs.org.uk/podcast
This week we've got seasonal lawncare tips galore, RHS entomologist Andy Salisbury shares his love of beetles, and award-winning designer Lee Burkhill explains how to use gardening to promote mental wellbeing. Plus design duo Charlotte Harris and Hugo Bugg discuss multi-dimensional design inspirations and storytelling in their creations both at RHS Garden Bridgewater and their garden that would have been at this year's Chelsea Flower Show.
Useful links:
- Lawncare
- Beneficial beetles
- Gardening for wellbeing
- The Garden Ninja
- RHS Garden Bridgewater
- Harris Bugg at Chelsea
- Harris Bugg Studio
Award-winning designer Sarah Eberle gives us a virtual tour of the garden she designed for this year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Plus we're feeling the love for allotments and sharing advice on quick-growing vegetables to provide speedy harvests during lockdown. RHS Water Scientist Janet Manning explores the results of an experiment to find out how much water hanging baskets really need.
Useful links: Virtual Chelsea – Psalm 23 Garden – RHS advice: grow your own veg – Get gardening advice on your phone with our free Grow Your Own app – Advice on watering – Join the RHS for free personalised gardening advice
April is always a busy month in the plant world, and despite lockdown, this year is no exception. So this week's show is full of ideas of how to grow when you've nowhere to go.
Lee Burkhill, winner of an RHS Feel Good Garden competition, shares his personal guide on how to keep on gardening during lockdown. Plus we're talking houseplants: Wisley Curator Matt Pottage shares one of his all-time favourite plants, and gardening advisor Jenny Bowden offers seasonal care tips.
Nikki Barker has some expert help for a listener who wants to keep their herbs in shape, and offers some handy hints on growing herbs indoors.
Useful links: ►RHS advice on herbs ►Lee Burkhill: Garden Ninja ►Garden inspiration: How to pick the right houseplant for you ►RHS advice: Choosing houseplants
Our human world might've changed completely in the past few weeks but the joyful beauty of plants and flowers shines brighter than ever. This week, Rob Evans of Pheasant Acre Plants shares his love for one of the brightest stars of flower gardens everywhere, the dahlia. RHS Gardening Advisor Becky Mealey brings us back to earth with some timely advice on how to get the best from peat-free compost, and Jenny Bowden encourages us all to make the most of our front gardens, sharing design tips and planting ideas to make them bloom.
Useful links: ►Discover dahlias ►Peat-free composts ►Garden inspiration: Front gardens ►Gardening for health and wellbeing ►Greening Great Britain ►Find plant suppliers (includes mail order)
Selected plants mentioned: ►Viburnum × burkwoodii ►Skimmias ►Hellebores ► Prunus incisa ►Betula 'Moonbeam' ►Prunus 'Kursar' ►Cercis 'Avondale' ►Arenaria ►Bugle ►Helianthemums ►Elaeagnus ►Daphne bholua ►Daphne 'Eternal Fragrance' ►Find plant suppliers (includes mail order)
This week's show is a bulging barrowful of edible gardening advice. RHS Horticulturists Guy Barter and Lenka Cooke discuss how to grow tomatoes, recommended tomato varieties and ways to beat blight. The Gardening Advice team gather to debate the best strawberries to grow on a patio and how to get rid of scale insects on a lemon tree. Plus seasonal gardening jobs to do in March.
Useful links ►How to grow tomatoes ►Grow your own strawberries ►RHS monthly gardening advice ►Scale insects ►Find an RHS event near you
Selected recommended tomato varieties: 'Black Krim', 'Red Alert', 'Ferline', 'Sungold', 'Olivade', 'Shirley'
Selected recommended strawberry varieties: 'Hapil', 'Mara des Bois', 'Charlotte', 'Elsanta', 'Malling Centenary', 'Florence'
How do you make your garden wildlife friendly? What are the star plants for helping out the birds and the bees? Horticultural Advisors Jenny Bowden and James Lawrence discuss top tips for bringing nature to your plot.
Meanwhile Guy Barter and entomologist Andy Salisbury discuss the results of a pioneering RHS research project to discover whether native plants are better for bugs and Hayley Jones shares advice on what's hot and what's not when it comes to insect hotels. Plus an allotmenteer shares his love of bees.
Useful links ►Rewild your garden with tips from BBC Springwatch ►RHS advice on composting ►Winter plants for bees ►Gardening for health & wellbeing ►Search RHS gardening advice ►Plants for Bugs research ►Plants for Pollinators lists ►Find an RHS event near you ►Advice on wildlife ponds ►Discover firethorns (Pyracantha)
Wedding flowers, snowdrops, wisteria, climbers, xylella What flowers can you grow for a September wedding? How do you tame a wisteria that's got a bit too involved with an apple tree? What's the best way to propagate snowdrops? Can you save climbers when replacing a rotten fence? Our team of experts gathers together to solve your gardening questions.
Plus, advice on growing cucumbers for pickling and xylella, a major new plant disease. And finally; we continue our mini-series on houseplants as Jane Perrone, Matthew Pottage and Anne Swithinbank share their personal favourites and offer tips on how to care for them.
Useful links ►How to grow wisteria ►More info on snowdrops ►Xylella ►Find a plant ►Giant Houseplant Takeover ►RHS advice and articles on houseplants
Houseplants mentioned: ►Hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii) ►Parallel peperomia (Peperomia puteolata) ►String of beads (Curio rowleyanus / Senecio rowleyanus)
Wake up and smell the chlorophyll! In a special collaborative edition we're simulcasting with On the Ledge podcast, panellists Jane Perrone, Anne Swithinbank and Matthew Pottage discuss all things houseplant. From their first ever plants that sparked a love of greenery, to what they're growing now and fantasy houseplants for a fantasy house. Weird, wild and wonderful – full of interesting plant suggestions and practical tips on how to grow them.
Useful links ►On the Ledge podcast ►Giant Houseplant Takeover at RHS Garden Wisley ►Find an RHS event near you ►RHS advice and articles on houseplants
Selected plants mentioned ►Senecio articulatus (candle cactus) ►Kalanchoe daigremontiana (Mexican hat plant) ►Ferocactus emoreyi (barrel cactus) ►Pelargonium crispum 'Variegatum' (variegated lemon-scented geranium) ►Begonia erythrophylla (beefsteak begonia) ►Huperzia squarrosa (clubmoss) ►Sansevieria trifasciata 'Bantel's Sensation' (snake plant or mother-in-law's tongue) ►Licuala grandis (fan palm) ►Echinocactus grusonii ►Strongylodon macrobotrys (Jade vine).
This week our resident gardening guru Guy Barter gazes into his crystal ball to make some predictions for the year ahead in horticulture, before heading to the Glasshouse at RHS Garden Wisley to come face to face with some very naughty houseplants. So naughty in fact that they've taken over an entire Victorian house, elbowing the human occupants aside in a verdant invasion that's sure to delight visitors. Garden Manager Emma Allen braves the bristling bromeliads and chess-playing cacti to take Guy round this quirky new attraction.
Plus part two of our visit to gardening charity Thrive, who help people with disabilities or ill health to keep on gardening. Training, Consultancy & Education Manager Damien Newman gives useful advice on ways to garden when sight loss becomes an issue.
Useful links ►New fruits on the block ►2020 gardening trends ►Giant Houseplant Takeover at RHS Garden Wisley ►Advice for gardening with sight loss from RNIB ►Find an RHS event near you
Selected plants mentioned: 'Charlotte Russe' mulberry (also listed as 'Matsunaga' and Morus 'Waisei-kirishima-shikinari'), honeyberries, dwarf raspberry 'Ruby Beauty', Lagerstroemia, clivia, parlour palm, Epipremnum
A look back over the past year to some of the best bits of our gardening podcasts. In March we met the staff and inmates at HMP Hull to find out how an award-winning prison garden has helped transform lives behind bars. Plus garden writer Sally Nex charts her quest for a plastic-free plot, and we discover what curators, editors and other RHS staff members are most looking forward to horticulturally in 2020. Useful links ►HMP Hull wins Windlesham Trophy ►How to go plastic-free in your garden ►The Garden magazine ►The Garden Podcast ►Find an RHS event near you
This week we head to Reading to discover how gardening can bring positive life changes to people living with disabilities or ill health, thanks to the work of the charity Thrive. Plus RHS staff share their tips for homegrown Christmas decorations and Wisley's Curator Matthew Pottage shares some seasonal highlights to look out for and tips on houseplants.
Useful links ►How to make a Christmas wreath ►Grow your own Christmas greenery ►Thrive ►Gardening for health & wellbeing ►Discover Wisley ►Christmas with the RHS ►Find an RHS event near you ► RHS advice on houseplants
Free yourself from everyday mundanities and dive into other worlds from the comfort of your own home… yes it's our annual books special! This year our literary committee share a huge range of favourites, including unusual and delightful books for gifts this Christmas, books to excite children and stimulate the minds of adults too.
This year's panel comprises Fiona Davison (Head of Libraries and Exhibitions), Chris Young (Head of RHS Editorial), James Armitage, (Editor of The Plant Review) and Guy Barter (Chief Horticulturist).
► See our books podcasts page
With flooding, climate change and wellbeing becoming ever more important topics, planting trees has become a call to arms to anyone interested in making the future a brighter place.
We talk to Carol Honeybun-Kelly from the Woodland Trust about a nationwide tree-planting campaign, The Big Climate Fightback. Dr Andrew Hirons, Senior Lecturer in Arboriculture at University Centre Myerscough offers advice on the best trees for challenging urban situations, making some personal selections that should prove resilient in the face of climate change and increasing pest and disease threats.
Meanwhile, back at RHS Garden Wisley, our Gardening Advice teams offers tips on how to propagate bear's breeches (Acanthus) and shares advice on how to garden alongside cats and dogs.
*Useful* links ►The Woodland Trust ►John MacLeod Lecture: The environmental and health benefits of trees ►Tree species selection guide ►RHS advice: trees ►Acanthus ► Potentially harmful plants (includes links to lists of plants poisonous to dogs and cats) ►Find an RHS event near you
Selected trees mentioned: Stewartia pseudocamellia, Cornus kousa, Syringa reticulata
What type of hedge is best for trapping pollution? Which hedging plants help mitigate flooding risks? And can you grow roses and clematis together to make a flowering hedge? We went to a recent 'Hedging Your Bets' event at RHS Garden Wisley to find out more. Plus the Gardening Advice team gathers to answer queries on houseplants for a shady bathroom, growing houseleeks and aeoniums, the secrets of making great compost – and whether you can grow your own wasabi peas?!
Useful links ►Choosing hedges for environmental benefits ►RHS advice on hedges ►RHS hedge research paper ►Bromeliads ►How to make garden compost ►See suppliers of wasabi plants ►Find an RHS event near you
Selected houseplants mentioned: Cereopegia, Tradescantia sillamontana, Tradescantia zebrina, Billbergia, Vriesea, Cymbidium
This week the Wisley teams share their wisdom on growing great veg and dealing with the sweet-sounding but deadly bane of many gardens: honey fungus. Pathologist Matthew Cromey shares the results of recent RHS research which shines new light on which plants are most resistant. Plus the heartwarming story of an unused church plot that was transformed with help from the RHS's Greening Grey Britain campaign into a garden to soothe and feed the mind, body and soul.
Useful links ►Grow your own ►Greening Great Britain ►Growing healthy in Gateshead ►Get involved - RHS community gardening ►Honey fungus ►Honey fungus – resistant and susceptible plants ►Find an RHS event near you
Horticulturists Joe Olds and Bernard Boardman are in the orchard at Wisley, discussing how to get the best from apples and grapevines. Alex Hankey talks plant trials and Sabatino Urzo shares the results of a recent People's Choice vote to discover the favourite clematis from a trial of 28 varieties at RHS Garden Harlow Carr.
Meanwhile, our gardening advice team gather to answer questions on growing British native trees from seed, making gardens hedgehog-friendly and pruning lavender and rosemary.
People's choice clematis award winners: 1) Clematis KINGFISHER = ‘Evipo037’, 2) Clematis 'Maria Skłodowska-Curie', 3) Clematis Zara = 'Evipo062', 4) Clematis BERNADINE = 'Evipo061', 5) Clematis CÉZANNE = 'Evipo023'
Useful links ►RHS advice: grow your own fruit ► Wisley Taste of Autumn festival ►Search RHS gardening advice ►Hyde Hall recipe cards (see right of page) ►RHS plant trials and awards ►Find an RHS event near you ►Growing trees from seed ►Video: How to help hedgehogs
As autumn hits its stride we're at RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Essex to sample the exotic yet seasonal delights of the Global Growth Vegetable Garden with Matthew Oliver and Head Chef James Curtis. Meanwhile back at Wisley, Team Leader Verity Bradbury shares her favourite autumnal plants from the Equinox Borders and entomologist Imogen Cavadino has a call for gardeners to help research into a new(ish) slug on the block which seems to be elbowing out its relatives. (If a slug could elbow!)
Useful links ►Global Growth Vegetable Garden ►Hyde Hall recipe cards (see right of page) ►Equinox Borders at Wisley ►Cellar slug survey ►Find an RHS event near you
This week we return to Wisley for a very special event as HRH The Duchess of Cambridge opens the new Back to Nature Garden, which was inspired by show gardens co-designed by HRH alongside landscape architects Andrée Davies and Adam White at the Chelsea and Hampton Court Palace flower shows. It's a place for families and friends to have fun in nature, while hopefully igniting a love for gardening and growing plants.
Plus seasonal gardening advice from entomologist Hayley Jones who offers timely tips on dealing with bugs, Mark Tuson who's busy planting bulbs at Wisley and we meet master daffodil grower Ron Scamp.
Useful links ►Back to Nature Garden at Wisley ►Duchess of Cambridge activity cards ►Narcissus cyclamineus ►Pinetum at Wisley ►How to plant bulbs in grass ►RHS Master Grower: RA Scamp Quality Daffodils
As autumn approaches and a new generation of gardeners re-discovers the late-season charms of chrysanthemums, we get expert advice on how to grow them from RHS Master Grower Martyn Fish of Chrysanthemums Direct. We talk to James Armitage, editor of The Plantsman, who shares some exciting news about this magazine for plant lovers ahead of its September re-launch. Plus seasonal lawn-care advice from David Hedges-Gower and joyful garden memories from Chelsea gold medal-winning designers Jilayne Rickards and Miki Sato.
This week we discover two fantastic new gardens - RHS Bridgewater near Manchester, which is gearing up to open its doors in 2020; and the Cool Garden which is already becoming a horticultural highlight at RHS Rosemoor in Devon. As peak hedge-cutting season approaches, hand surgeon Professor Grey Giddins gives some timely advice on gardening health and safety. Plus joyful garden memories from Chelsea designers Andy Sturgeon and Taina Suonio.
This week we're at RHS Wisley where we meet garden managers Peter Jones and Emma Allen who share seasonal horticultural highlights and tips on what to do now. The Gardening Advice team deal with a bulging post bag of queries on a range of topics including lining hanging baskets, feeding tomatoes, summer lawn care, growing plants in pots and more. Plus we have joyful garden memories from designers Sarah Eberle and Chris Beardshaw.
Drought-tolerant hanging basket plants: Pelargonium, Scaevola, Glandularia (verbena), Helichrysum petiolare, Dichondra 'Silver Falls', Delosperma
At the last major RHS flower show of the year we're talking bugs, slugs and lawns and visiting the show's Bridgewater garden, which is inspired by the new RHS site that will open in Salford next year. Plus we meet the winner of the Young Designer competition, whose garden aims to raise awareness of some important plant health issues that gardeners need to be aware of this summer.
This week we're going back to nature at the world's biggest annual flower show. Designer Jo Thompson explains how she's gone wild with the BBC Springwatch Garden, Dave Green shares his meditative spaces in the Stop and Pause Garden and Matthew Childs contemplates new approaches to energy use in the Smart Meter Garden.
Plus we visit the RHS Back to Nature Garden (co-designed by HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, Andrée Davies and Adam White), discover a drought-tolerant garden in memory of horticultural hero Beth Chatto, meet community allotmenteers and hear a surprising botanical cocktail recipe from food writer Mark Diacono.
See our programme page for links
This week we uncover untold histories of 19th-century gardeners with Fiona Davison, author and Head of Libraries and Collections at the RHS. Then we head out into the Chelsea crowds to meet Sue and Steve Hall who are part of our purple-clad cadre of volunteers; un-sung modern day gardening heroes who help run the RHS Flower Shows – they share what volunteering means to them. Plus a look at the incredible floral art from the National Association of Flower Arranging Societies (NAFAS) as the organisation celebrates its 70th year.
In this edition we're at the newest RHS Flower Show on the block in the stunning estate of Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. We explore the power of trees, get dazzled by dahlias and inspired by the innovative gardens and plants galore. Plus a live recording of a question and answer session where an expert panel helps showgoers with their thorny gardening questions.
This week we're at the world's premier floral extravaganza in the grounds of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea. We meet garden designers, celebrities and plantspeople to discover the stories behind the gardens and plants that make the show so special.
Secrets of houseplant success, acers, cauliflowers, going wild for ponds and A Nation in Bloom (Ep 154: 9 May 2019) Our gardening advisors gather to help RHS members with their horticultural queries, including propagating peperomias and repotting aloe veras, growing cauliflowers successfully and when to plant an acer. Plus Wisley horticulturist Bernard Boardman offers seasonal tips on garden ponds and broadcaster Matthew Biggs shares insights from his new book, A Nation in Bloom.
(Ep 153: 25 Apr 2019) This week we head across the Severn Bridge to the RHS Flower Show Cardiff. Guest presenter James Alexander-Sinclair chairs a panel of gardening experts – Rob Evans from Pheasant Acre Plants, Jane Linsday from Tynings Climbers and Chairman of RHS South West in Bloom Jon Wheatley – who answer a bumper crop of show-goers' queries. Topics covered include which plants to grow with children in a community garden, which plants give you most return for your effort, how to get a bougainvillea to flower, dealing with overgrown trees in pots, and more. We also hear from some of the plant exhibitors and garden designers.
Selected plants mentioned: Verbena bonariensis, bougainvillea, Edgeworthia chrysantha (paperbush), Trachelospermum (star jasmine)
In this mini-edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast, James Alexander-Sinclair chairs a panel of experts who answer show-goers' plant puzzles on the first day of the show. A full version of the Question and Answer session will be broadcast on 25 April.
Our trusty advisors gather to help RHS members with their gardening problems including what to do about an apple tree that produces nasty apples, which are the most blackspot resistant roses and how to stop your peace lilies going brown. Garden writer Melissa Mabbitt and Deputy editor of The Garden magazine Phil Clayton debate this month's hot topic – whether forcing plants out of season is an acceptable sales tactic. And finally, Jenny Bowden reveals the results of a nationwide survey into which plants are most deer resistant.
Selected blackspot-resistant roses: Rosa rugosa , 'Roseraie de l'Hay', 'Blanche Double de Coubert', 'Shepherdess'
This week we meet the staff and inmates at HMP Hull and discover how a prison garden has helped transform lives behind bars. Last year the prison's horticultural achievements won them the coveted Windlesham Trophy, an RHS award for the best prison garden. Meanwhile back at RHS Garden Wisley we meet pathologist Matthew Cromey who shares advice on the top 10 plant diseases reported to our gardening advice service last year. And finally, entomologist Andy Salisbury introduces a new kind of insect that marks the first new 'order' to be found in the UK in over a century.
Top 10 pests revealed, life after slug pellets, children's gardening questions answered, dealing with box problems and more (Ep 150)
As the annual Hit Parade of garden nasties is revealed, Entomologist Andy Salisbury shares the results and offers advice on how to deal with them. Meanwhile the Gardening Advice team gathers to debate questions sent in from young gardeners at St Patrick's School in Stratford, including whether you can grow flowers from flowers and how to tell a good caterpillar from a bad one. And following the recent announcement of a forthcoming ban on metaldehyde-based slug pellets, our resident gastropod guru Dr Hayley Jones offers research-based advice on slug and snail control. Plus questions from members on box problems, growing your own dye plants and dealing with blackfly. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Discovering Darwin's potato, pressing matters at the Herbarium, Cardiff flower show, beating blight (Ep 149)
This week we lift the lid on the RHS Herbarium, a unique collection of dried plant material from around the world that's used by scientists, researchers and artists. We learn how and why samples are prepared for inclusion – and share the recent discovery of a very special part of the collection: a potato that was brought back from the voyage of HMS Beagle by Charles Darwin.
Plus, plant pathologist Matthew Cromey shares tips with Guy Barter on how gardeners can avoid potato blight and Chris Young gets an insider's view on what visitors can expect at this year's RHS Flower Show Cardiff. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Growing new plants and new gardeners, gardens to visit for free, solving courgette queries and replacing overgrown shrubs (Ep 148)
We visit RHS Garden Wisley to discover the new plant propagation facilities and what they mean for the gardeners there. And it's not just plants that the RHS is cultivating: as we look to the next generation of horticulturists there's still time to enter the Young School Gardener of the Year competition. Plus an exploration of our Partner Gardens, more than 200 glorious gardens nationwide (and overseas) that open their gates for free to RHS members at selected times throughout the year; and our advice team troubleshoots a poor courgette harvest and offers suggestions on replacing an overgrown shrub border. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Following royal gardening footsteps in Islington, discovering horticultural histories and the spawning glories of ponds in late winter (Ep 147)
This week we follow in the footsteps of the Duchess of Cambridge who recently visited King Henry’s Walk Garden in Islington, an RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood group, to meet the community gardeners. Meanwhile back at our horticultural HQ, we meet Fiona Davison, Head of Libraries and Collections, who shares details of an exciting programme of upcoming exhibitions on hidden horticulturists, digging for victory and more. Plus a look into the murky waters of garden ponds to discover the difference between frog, toad and newt spawn and get advice on how to protect these valuable garden amphibians. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
A bumper crop of gardening questions answered, how did the 2018 drought affect gardens and a sneak peek at upcoming flower shows (Ep 146)
What can you plant for winter colour - that's not a dogwood? Should you remove the yellow leaves on sprouts? Tune in and find out the answers to these and lots more seasonal gardening questions. We talk to pest and disease experts to find out how the wild weather of 2018 affected plants and gardens. Plus a look at what's coming up at RHS Flower Shows this year. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Highlights of 2018 - a year in gardening
As 2018 draws to a close, here's a look back at some of our favourite moments of the year. From the energy and dynamism of the Chelsea Flower Show, interviews with luminaries of the gardening world such as Fergus Garrett and Beth Chatto, to an exploration of the tranquil streamside plantings at Harlow Carr, join us on a leisurely stroll through the audio annals of 2018 - a year in gardening. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Seasonal gardening questions solved and Christmas presents for gardeners (Ep 145)
The Gardening Advice team gathers together for a bumper question-and-answer session, sorting out enquiries ranging from whether you can grow your own vine leaves, which figs grow best in the UK, using an old hot water tank as a pond, how to get rid of those pesky little compost flies in your houseplants, and more. Plus ideas for last-minute Christmas presents and a look at 2018's changes at RHS Garden Wisley. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
How to help winter wildlife, unusual street trees and are glittered plants a crime against nature? (Ep 144)
Wildlife expert and writer Kate Bradbury shares her top tips on what to do now to help garden wildlife through the winter. Paul Wood discusses the past, present and future of street trees, and shares some of his discoveries of the more unusual botanical residents of our towns and cities. Meanwhile back at RHS HQ, our magazine team debates the pros and cons of the 'novelty' plants - painted, bejewelled with glitter and more - that seem to pop up everywhere at this time of year. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Books Special: Experts pick their favourites old and new, and books for Christmas presents
In this special edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast, we're joined by experts and authors who discuss their favourite gardening books both classic and modern, and give recommendations of books for presents this Christmas. For more information, including a list of the titles mentioned, please see rhs.org.uk/bookspodcast
Go west! Rosemoor under the spotlight (Ep 143)
Nestled in a Devon valley, RHS Garden Rosemoor blends formal and informal plantings to magical effect. From delightful cottage gardens to orchards, vegetables and peaceful woodland plantings, there's something for everyone, at any time of year. Join us as we go behind the scenes, meeting the people who make it all happen and uncovering the garden's history along the way. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Weird, wild and wonderful - urban gardens as you've never seen them (Ep 142)
A visit to the recent RHS Urban Garden show uncovers an ultraviolet garden, dancing plants, terrariums and much more. Plus a delve into dahlias, what to do with an abundant grape harvest and smaller, slug-resistant sunflowers. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Uncovering the mysterious Miss Harrisson, plants on trial and hats off to begonias (Ep 141)
This week's podcast is all about gardening winners - from Edwardian trailblazer who ruffled feathers by daring to win a nationwide horticultural competition while being a woman - to brilliant begonias, which won the RHS People's Choice Award last year on the Wisley trials field. Plus a look at how RHS Plant Trials are conducted and what the Awards of Garden Merit they produce mean for gardeners. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
New shoots - growing the next generation of gardeners
The RHS Campaign for School Gardening touches the lives of hundreds of thousands of children throughout the UK, providing children with gardening opportunities to enhance their skills while boosting their development and wellbeing. We meet the people behind the campaign as well as the winners of its recent School Gardening Awards. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
It's harvest time! Celebrating homegrown produce and seasonal GYO advice (Ep 140)
This week's episode is jam-packed with helpful info on growing your own fruit and veg, including pumpkins and squashes, courgettes, garlic, pears, French and runner beans and more. Plus the Garden Advisors discuss banishing an over-enthusiastic Virginia creeper and growing cut flowers for a wedding. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Gardening for good, repairing lawns, tips on growing dahlias, roses, damsons and more (Ep 139)
If you go down to the shops today, you're in for a big surprise. If you live in Sheerwater, Surrey, that is - where a new community garden is taking root as a result of an innovative new partnership between community groups, the RHS, local councils and the HLF*. Plus our Gardening Advice team gather to untangle a postbag bulging with horticultural heartaches including questions on dahlias, damsons, roses, hydrangeas, sweetcorn and more. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Get RHS cash to fund your gardening adventure, a Wisley walkabout, helping hedgehogs and more (Ep 138)
Have you ever dreamed of travelling to distant lands to see and study plants in their native habitats? Or perhaps you'd like to grow your knowledge in other ways? An RHS bursary may be able to help. Past recipients share their stories of travels to Portugal and the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Closer to home, Matt Pottage gives an update on the latest in RHS Garden Wisley's multimillion-pound redevelopment, we head to Harlow Carr for tips on helping hedgehogs. Plus news on the Big Soup Share from the RHS Campaign for School Gardening. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
A plant-lover's paradise: exploring RHS Garden Harlow Carr (Ep 137)
From iconic blue Himalayan poppies and drifts of streamside primulas to subtropical borders and precious alpines, Harlow Carr is a paradise for plant lovers. In this episode we meet the gardeners who share their favourite plants and parts of the most northerly RHS Garden. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Behind the scenes science, Wisley dahlia competition and what to do about wasps (Ep 136)
We head behind the scenes at Wisley to find out what RHS scientists are studying in their ongoing work to keep our beloved garden plants safe and healthy. And with just a few weeks to go until the ever-popular People's Dahlia Competition at the Wisley Flower Show, we get some top tips on how to get the best from these colourful flowers. Back in the science department, Dr Hayley Jones shares some wisdom on wasps and pathologist Matthew Cromey gives an update on ash dieback and what gardeners can do about it. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Hyde Hall re-born (Ep 135)
Join us on a journey through a Floral Fantasia and around the world in 80 veg... As our easternmost garden reaches the end of a multi-million pound investment programme, we visit a revitalised site that's bursting with colourful flowers and exotic edibles, discover what's new for visitors and find out how it has become more environmentally sustainable. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Live from Tatton (Ep 134)
This week we're at the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park in Cheshire, revelling in this floral extravaganza in the glorious Cheshire countryside. We explore some of the show highlights before heading into 'The Beehive' with author and broadcaster Matthew Biggs who chairs a live question and answer session with gardening experts Mark Diacono, Lia Leendertz and Tony Dickerson. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Live from Hampton Court (Ep 133)
Join us at the largest annual flower show on earth! We meet horticultural hero Piet Oudolf, chef and home-grown veg champion Raymond Blanc, RHS Master Grower Matt Soper of Hampshire Carnivorous Plants, among others in this whistle-stop tour of just a few of the highlights of this incredible show. Plus garden designer and TV presenter Ann-Marie Powell gives a guided tour of Countryfile's 30th Anniversary Garden. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Hampton Court Shorts (3/3) Celebrating 30 years of Countryfile
Designer Ann-Marie Powell explains the ideas behind her garden celebrating 30 years of BBC’s Countryfile, which aims to inspire and reconnect visitors with nature. The space explores a critically important world residing on our doorsteps as well as the wider countryside. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Hampton Court Shorts (2/3) Growing communities
This year at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show there's a real feeling of coming together and growing communities alongside delicious, healthy food. We meet the people behind these transformational gardens that promise to be a treat for the mind, body and soul. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Hampton Court Shorts (1/3) Lifestyle Gardens
To mark the centenary of the first female suffrage in the UK, the RHS asked four female designers, all aged under 30, to create gardens to resonate with different lifestyles and reflect the owner's personality and way of life. It's the ideal category for visitors wanting ideas to create a garden at home that they can fall in love with, as Show Manager Gemma Lake and designer Lilly Gomm explain. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Summer gardens to visit, coping with carrot fly and learning to love wasps (Ep 132)
As new plantings emerge from the dust and hubbub of the redevelopments at Wisley, we explore the Wisteria Walk and Heather Landscape. Plus a round-up of RHS partner gardens to visit this summer, results of a two-year science research project into how gardeners can best deal with carrot fly and wildlife writer Kate Bradbury rallies gardeners in defence of some surprising allies - wasps! For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Live from Chatsworth (Ep 131)
This week we're at the RHS Chatsworth Flower Show in Derbyshire, revelling in this floral extravaganza in the heart of the Peak District. Florist Jonathan Moseley reveals the UK's largest ever orchid display and James Alexander-Sinclair chairs a live question and answer session with leading gardening experts including Martin Fish, Leigh Hunt and Helen Bainbridge. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Dear Mrs Chatto (May 2018)
One of the greatest gardeners of the 20th century, Beth Chatto, recently died at the age of 94. Beth was admired and loved by family, friends and gardeners around the world. One of those friends was another legendary plantsman, Roy Lancaster. He visited the garden in Essex she created with her late husband, Andrew, to discuss the development of what she described as a "horticultural and ecological experiment". Hear Beth and Roy in an interview which was to become an article, Dear Mrs Chatto, in the January 2010 issue of The Garden magazine.
Live from Chelsea (Ep 130)
Garden designer, TV presenter and RHS flower show judge James Alexander-Sinclair takes us on a journey into the heart and soul of the Chelsea Flower Show, exploring top-end design, incredible plants and planting, and meeting the people who make it all happen and the celebrities who turn out in force to soak up the Chelsea buzz. Find out about feel-good gardens, exciting new plants and garden products, and get design tips for your garden. This year's show also shows the power of gardening as a force for good. We meet the creator of The Lemon Tree Trust Garden, inspired by the gardens of Domiz refugee camp in Iraq. It's a heartwarming tale of human spirit and triump over adversity, and the RHS is proud to have been able to support the Trust in its work. We also speak to Baroness Floella Benjamin and singer and actress Beverley Knight about Birmingham City Council's display celebrating 70 years since the Empire Windrush arrived in Britain, marking the beginning of a new chapter in our nation's history. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Chelsea Shorts - Growing happiness (3 of 3)
In the final part of our exclusive behind-the-scenes Chelsea preview podcasts, we meet designer Matt Keightley who's in the process of creating a trailblazing health and wellbeing garden - the RHS Feel Good Garden - which will live on after the show as a permanent garden at the Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Chelsea Shorts - Hero Plants of Chelsea (2 of 3)
Get an exclusive peek behind the scenes of the greatest flower show on earth. Today we celebrate the real stars of the show – the plants! Designers Chris Beardshaw, Bunny Guinness and Kate Gould share their insights into the planting in this year’s show gardens and Show Manager Katherine Potsides outlines some of the other plant highlights to look out for. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Chelsea Shorts - Space to Grow (1 of 3)
Get an exclusive peek behind the scenes of the greatest flower show on earth! Join us as we discover what's in store in our new 'Space to Grow' garden category, meeting designer Kate Gould who shares the trials, triumphs and tribulations that are all part and parcel of the Chelsea experience, along with a healthy dose of tips and hints for making the most of small, urban gardens. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Countdown to Chelsea, Great British Bee Count, seasonal vegetable growing advice and more (Ep 129)
Hear behind the scenes interviews with award-winning garden designer Jo Thompson and Show Manager Katherine Potsides, who give a tantalising preview of the show and explore the increasing presence of women at Chelsea from designers to engineers and planting teams. Wildlife gardening expert Kate Bradbury shares a call to arms for gardeners to get involved in the Great British Bee Count, and we get timely advice from RHS experts on growing your vegetables – including how to avoid blossom end rot on tomatoes and how to grow a giant beanstalk! For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Reshaping the future of gardening; plastics part II; advice on cats, clay soil and lawns (Ep 128)
Garden designer and television presenter James Alexander-Sinclair meets Sue Biggs, RHS Director General to discuss the Society's plans to invest millions of pounds in the future of gardening - revolutionising our gardens and horticultural research. Plus advice on restoring damaged lawns, coping with cats in the garden and suggestions on shrubs for clay soil. For more info and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
How to grow beautiful orchids, Britain in Bloom on the BBC, and is honey fungus top of the rots? (Ep 127)
We speak to orchid experts at the recent RHS London Orchid Show and Plant Fair to get top tips on how to grow these most alluring of houseplants. Author and naturalist Jon Dunn shares his love of the native orchids that grow across the British Isles. Plus we talk to the people behind the incredible orchid displays planned for this year's RHS Chatsworth Flower Show. Chris Bavin, presenter of BBC's Britain in Bloom shares his experiences in filming the series, and we continue our countdown of the top garden problems from last year; this time it's over to diseases - will honey fungus stay top of the rots? For more info including plants mentioned and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Gardeners' hit list - top 10 pests revealed, plastic not fantastic and growing berries in pots (Ep 126)
The results are in! A gruesome lineup of slugs, bugs and other garden baddies has been compiled in our annual round-up of the most troublesome garden pests. We head to the Laboratory to find out who's on the list and how to deal with them, and then out into the garden to see what's going on in the beds and borders at Wisley. Plus we open the postbag to discuss RHS members' enquiries on growing fruit in pots, whether you can grow your own edamame beans and how to minimise plastic and peat use in the garden. For more info including plants mentioned and useful links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Should gardeners worry about sepsis? Plus seasonal tips, how to get wildlife on your side and a new campaign for school gardening (Ep 125)
Hear timely tips on what to do now if you want to grow fruit this year, plus we meet Wisley's plant propagation team and scientist Hayley Jones shares hints on how to get wildlife on side to help against common garden pests. And should gardeners be worried about sepsis? We get expert advice on this and other gardening health and safety issues. Plus news on our I Can Grow campaign and botanist James Armitage unearths more horticultural histories in his latest Wisley Plant Encounter. For more info see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Plants for pets, learning to love the Mother in law's tongue and Wisley gets a wisteria walk (Ep 124)
Can houseplants be dangerous for pets? And what is the new plant disease Xylella and how can gardeners avoid it? The Gardening Advice team discusses these and other enquiries, while Wisley Curator Matthew Pottage shares his love of houseplants, focusing on one old favourite in particular. Plus we hear about an exciting new garden feature planned for Wisley later this year. For links to more information on the topics discussed see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Springing into shows season: Snowdrops, houseplants, cyclamen and Master Growers (Ep 123)
The RHS Shows season got off to a flying start with the Early Spring Plant Fair last week. We went along to marvel at the hanging snowdrop extravaganza and meet the growers and celebrity experts who make it all happen - including Alys Fowler who gives seasonal houseplant tips and the team from Birmingham Botanical Gardens who share insight into the wonderful world of cyclamen. Plus a look at the RHS Master Grower Scheme, which is now in its third season. For links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Step into the indoor jungle - Houseplants special (aka 'how not to kill a Venus flytrap')
Discover the benefits and pleasures of growing indoor plants, and get some expert tips on how to make yours flourish. Experts pick their favourite houseplants and share tips on common pitfalls to avoid. Plus we discuss the findings of ongoing RHS research into the health benefits of growing indoor greenery, and get an insider's guide on how to keep your flytraps happy. For links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Banishing bunnies, sleuthing slugs, Valentines gifts for plant lovers, upcoming London Shows highlights and horticultural competitions (Ep 122)
As we begin the slow ascent to spring, the advice team shares wisdom on how to tackle rabbits eating bulbs, organic slug control, and whether you can grow the seaside plant samphire in Birmingham among other queries. Plus discover what's in store at our upcoming London Shows and how you can enter your favourite plants into one of the many RHS horticultural competitions. For links see www.rhs.org.uk/podcast
Exclusive Chelsea preview, plant encounters and seasonal advice (Ep121: Jan 2018)
We visit the press launch for 2018's Chelsea Flower Show to discover the exciting gardens in store this year. Our trusty team of gardening experts answers questions on how to dig safely, keeping potted Christmas trees alive, whether you can grow houseplants in dark rooms, and what to do about a lawn that keeps dying. Plus botanist James Armitage unearths more horticultural histories in his latest Wisley Plant Encounter ( see www.rhs.org.uk/wisleyplantencounters ).
Plant fanatics club together, birds in your garden part two. (Ep 120: Jan 2018)
Are you dotty about dahlias, fanatical about ferns or ardent about alpines? Then why not join a plant society? In this episode we meet a band of enthusiasts who are keen to share a love of plants with others and help new gardeners grow their favourite plants. Plus part two of our mini-series on attracting birds to your garden.
Special episode: Highlights of 2017
We look back at the best bits of 2017 including 'feel good' gardens at Chelsea, a brand new flower show at Chatsworth and groundbreaking RHS research on gardening in a changing climate. Plus botanist James Armitage meets an incredibly ancient plant in his latest Wisley Plant Encounter. See www.rhs.org.uk/wisleyplantencounters
Episode 119: Seasonal help and advice, winter bird watching and Wisley's great Laboratory is reborn
The gardening advisors gather to solve queries on what you can prune now, whether you can plant trees in winter and how to protect bay trees from cold weather. Resident wildlife expert Helen Bostock meets Adrian Thomas from the RSPB to find out which birds come to Britain in winter and how gardeners can encourage our feathered friends. Plus a look at the incredible transformation happening to Wisley's iconic Laboratory building, and the science team discusses two emerging threats to a traditional Christmas favourite, the chestnut.
Episode 118: Episode 118 - Incredible Edible Dunstable and re-inventing the conifer
We visit a thriving community garden in an unlikely spot close to the M1 in Bedfordshire, and speak to local residents and volunteers who say it has changed their lives. Meanwhile, Wisley's curator Matt Pottage meets life-long conifer fan Adrian Bloom who encourages gardeners to take another look at these much-maligned plants.
Episode 117: Honey what's that fungus? Fruity dilemmas, gardens to visit and Plant Encounters
Our trusty team of gardening experts answers questions on growing rhubarb, pears and strawberries. Plus we hear about a new RHS study on honey fungus and botanist James Armitage unearths more horticultural histories in his latest Wisley Plant Encounter. Listen out too for some of the seasonal highlights from our hundreds of partner gardens, as selected by Garden Visits Editor Sian Thomas.
Episode 116: An indoor forest, all about avocados and Bill Oddie's wild gardening adventures
We visit the RHS London Autumn Garden Show to hear expert advice on growing an edible forest garden, growing avocado plants and some imaginative ideas on floristry from the RHS Floral Artist in Residence. We’re also joined by bird and wildlife enthusiast Bill Oddie who recalls memories of the gardens of his youth and how they inspired his love of birds.
Episode 115: Curator's tips, grow your own gourmet garlic and Wisley Plant Encounters
Wisley's Curator Matthew Pottage shares seasonal gardening tips and gives us an update on all the exciting new developments that are transforming RHS Garden Wisley. We visit the RHS London Harvest Festival Show to hear growing tips and fascinating ideas for uses of garlic. Plus, botanist James Armitage unearths an ancient larch tree with a mysterious past in his latest Wisley Plant Encounter.
Episode 114: Get the jungle look! Wisley's new Exotic Garden, going wild for wildlife in winter and incredible history of apples at the RHS
We visit Wisley's stunning new Exotic Garden to discover the plants that give it such a tropical ambience, and get tips of how to get the look at home. Wildlife expert Kate Bradbury makes the case for being relaxed about autumn tidy-ups to provide habitats for overwintering wildlife. Meanwhile at the Lindley Library, we discover an exhibition of the RHS's remarkable 200-year project to protect heritage apples.
Episode 113: Strawberry, apple and lilac problems solved, wonderful wildlife at Hyde Hall and plant encounters
Wisley’s fruit specialists join the advisory team to answer listeners' questions, including poorly strawberries, maggoty apples and rotten tomatoes. We also visit RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Essex to discover the amazing wildlife that now shares our easternmost garden, and botanist James Armitage concludes his ongoing series of Wisley plant encounters.
Episode 112: Exotic vegetables take root in Essex, seasonal gardening tasks, and are native plants better for wildlife?
Chickpeas, yard-long beans and shark's fin melons... all on a windy hilltop near Chelmsford... we visit RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Essex to hear some inspirational Grow Your Own ideas from their new Global Growth Vegetable Garden. We also hear about some of the latest research the RHS has conducted in the Plant For Bugs project and as usual we have all the latest on events across our RHS Gardens.
Episode 111: Hyde Hall's mega meadow; questions on fuchsias, roses, tulips and whitefly; Wisley plant encounters
We visit RHS Garden Hyde Hall to discover a garden undergoing an incredible transformation, with huge new meadows linking it to the surrounding countryside. The RHS advisory team is back to answer listeners' seasonal questions including distorted leaves on fuchsias, moving roses, which tulips will come back next year and how to deal with whitefly. Plus we hear the latest instalment in botanist James Armitage’s Wisley plant encounters.
Episode 110: What's occurring at Wisley, Wild About Gardening, orchid experts share their tips
Curator Matt Pottage shares his personal highlights from RHS Garden Wisley this summer, and reveals how the redevelopment of the garden is progressing. Wildlife expert Kate Bradbury visits Chapel End Early Years Centre in East London to discover low-cost ways of encouraging wild creatures, and owner of a pioneering French nursery shares his tips for getting the best out of your orchids.
Episode 109: Slugs - are they all bad? Holiday gardening with children and tips on courgettes and pruning wisteria
In this edition we have a focus on slugs - how to identify different species and how they can actually help your garden. We also have news on family events across all four RHS Gardens as well as the latest in our continuing series of Wisley Plant Encounters. The RHS advisory experts answer this month’s listeners' questions covering topics such as summer pruning of wisteria, growing courgettes and tips for making your soil more workable.
Episode 108: Hairy Bikers at Hampton, incredibly edible show gardens, going wild and going green
This week's edition comes from the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, where BBC's Hairy Bikers share their love of edible gardening in the RHS Kitchen Garden, created by award-winning designer Juliet Sargeant. Plus we discover cunning designs aimed at coping with climate change, and reconnecting children with nature through play.
Episode 107: Chatsworth Flower Show highlights, weird and wonderful plants at Wisley
We visit the RHS Chatsworth Flower Show in Derbyshire for some expert advice on gardening in a changing climate and moveable gardens. Botanist James Armitage reads the latest in his series of Wisley Plant Encounters, discovering some of the garden's more unusual residents.
Grow your knowledge: Adult education with the RHS
If you’re interested in gardening, why not grow your knowledge with the RHS? Anyone can learn with us; whether you’d like to take a day course to find out how to prune your apple tree or become a fully-qualified gardener, we can help. Hear stories from people whose lives have been transformed by getting into horticulture in this special edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast.
Episode 106: Chelsea's unsung heroes, a Show Garden goes to Wales and RHS Photographic Competition.
We go behind the scenes at the Chelsea Flower Show to speak to the unsung show garden heroes and find out what it really takes to make a medal-winning show garden. We also catch up on this year’s RHS Photographic Competition and meet the lucky winners of the Greening Grey Britain garden.
Episode 105: Jo Malone at Chelsea, misbehaving wisteria, tomato questions answered
As this year’s gardens take shape, we visit the RHS Chelsea Flower Show to meet the designers. These include the brand-new, sensory Feel Good Gardens, created in conjunction with BBC Radio 2 DJs and celebrities including Jo Whiley and Jo Malone. Plus we have seasonal expert advice on questions including poorly-looking tomato plants and a wisteria whose flowers have changed colour.
Episode 104: A peony with a rocky past, disappearing plants and gardening in a changing climate
Botanist James Armitage continues his series of Wisley Plant Encounters with a look at a tree peony with a back-story that spans the globe. Team leader Sam Gallivan explains where the missing plants at Wisley have gone; and following a major new report, the horticultural advisors discuss what climate change means for gardeners. Useful links:
Gardening in a Changing Climate report
Wisley Plant Encounters
RHS Flower Shows Special 2017
Let your gardening imagination run riot at our world-famous flower shows this year. In this special edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast, we meet people behind the shows including designers, judges and show managers to find out what’s in store for 2017 and look back at the highlights of 2016.
Episode 103: BBC Radio 2 at Chelsea; seasonal advice, a celebration of the RHS Plant Finder and Plant Encounters part 2
Our gardening experts help listeners with queries including rabbit-proof plants, tulips with no flowers and dealing with a lopsided plum tree. We meet the manager of the Chelsea Flower Show to find out about BBC Radio 2's new Feel Good Gardens, and we celebrate 30 years of the RHS Plant Finder. Plus, botanist James Armitage continues his series of Wisley Plant Encounters (open full description for links). Useful links:
Feel Good Gardens
Wisley Plant Encounters
Episode 102: Easter treats, Angell Town revisited, Wisley under the (jack) hammer and win a Chelsea garden!
Hear the latest on the redevelopments at Wisley with Curator Matthew Pottage and find out about the huge range of events at RHS Gardens over the Easter holidays. We visit Angell Town to find out if the residents are still enjoying their relocated 'Greening Grey Britain' Chelsea Show Garden from last year, and discover how you can win plants from a garden at this year's Chelsea Flower Show.
Episode 101: What to do now in the veg garden, top 10 diseases, how to help British butterflies, and the strange case of the purple toothwort
We visit the fruit and vegetable gardens at Wisley to find out what seasonal jobs the gardeners are up to. Following on from episode 100, we discover which plant diseases plagued gardeners the most last year. Entomologist Anna Platoni shares tips on how to encourage native butterflies into the garden, while botanist James Armitage heads into the woods on the trail of beautiful vampire.
Episode 100: You are not alone... gardeners' top pests and how to deal with them
With the recent release of the RHS top 10 pests and diseases 2016 list, our horticultural advisors get together to help gardeners deal with these troubles. Topics covered include small trees that are resistant to honey fungus, slugs and snails, vine weevils and fuchsia gall mite. We also discuss raised beds and seasonal gardening jobs to help you get ahead this spring.
Question and answer special - Growing in pots and containers
Do you have problems with your pots or suffer complications with your containers? Luckily help is at hand as our RHS gardening advisors and scientists sit down to help listeners get the best from their potted plant treasures. Topics include which compost to use, how to deal with pests and diseases and to crock or not to crock!
Episode 99: Help for hedgehogs and hellebores; how to go pro with gardening
Our gardening experts help listeners with queries including how to use plants to tackle air pollution, dealing with an ugly concrete path, making gardens hedgehog-friendly and what to do if your hellebore won't flower. We also discover the wide range of educational opportunities on offer for adults looking to pursue a career in horticulture.
Episode 98: Joys of winter at Wisley, perfect ponds and beautiful butterflies
We’re at Wisley to see some of the highlights of the garden in winter including an update on the Winter Walk, butterflies in the Glasshouse and Bernard Boardman gives his expert guide to building the perfect pond.
Episode 97: Explaining the changes at Wisley; advice on composting, African violets and scale insects
As we welcome in 2017, we hear the latest news about redevelopments at RHS Garden Wisley from curator Matthew Pottage, plus the RHS Advisory Team are on hand to tackle some tricky new year gardening questions - including composting fallen fruit, caring for African violets and a sticky problem with a star jasmine. Plus all the latest on events across our four gardens.
Highlights of 2016
In our final 2016 edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast, the team revisit some favourite interviews from a busy and productive year at the Royal Horticultural Society - from the winning designers at the Chelsea Flower Show, invaluable advice from our expert Horticultural Advisors, words of inspiration from RHS Ambassador for young people, Baroness Floella Benjamin and our community project at Angell Town. We also hear Wisley Curator Matthew Pottage’s plans for the garden in 2017.
Episode 96: Fruit and festivities
As we approach Christmas it's all about fruit and festivities as the Wisley gardening team discuss winter pruning of apple trees and our advice team scour the RHS shop for those all-important last minute Christmas gift ideas for garden lovers. We also have all the latest news on holiday events across our four RHS gardens.
Books Special: Experts pick their favourites old and new, the joy of books, and books for Christmas presents
In this special edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast, we're joined by experts and authors who discuss their favourite gardening books both classic and modern, and give recommendations of books for presents this Christmas. For a list of the books mentioned, please see rhs.org.uk/books-podcast
FREE ACCESS: Members' episode 38: RHS Ambassador Baroness Floella Benjamin shares her love of gardening; and listeners' questions
In a special edition of the RHS Members' Podcast, open to everyone, our Gardening Advice team tackles listeners' questions including what to do about a Bramley apple tree with tiny fruit, how to plant gooseberries and how to feed young trees. Plus, RHS Ambassador, Baroness Floella Benjamin, shares her love of gardening (the second part of an interview from episode 94 of the fortnightly RHS Gardening Podcast).
Episode 95: Columnar plants for vertical structure, seasonal advice on sprouts, lawn care and much much more
The RHS advisors are in session, helping gardeners pick the best plants for upright accents, sorting out sickly Brussels sprouts and rooting around the cause of a death in the shrubbery. Plus seasonal tips on lawncare, dealing with pesky garden flies and looking after your vegetable garden among other topics.
Episode 94: Expert picks for autumn colour, and RHS Ambassador Floella Benjamin shares her passion for gardening
At the recent RHS Shades of Autumn Show, Anne Swithinbank gives us her essential seasonal gardening tasks, and expert nursery growers reveal their choices for plants that can bring sensational autumn colour into your garden. Plus, RHS Ambassador Baroness Floella Benjamin shares her enthusiasm for gardening and inspiring the next generation of gardeners.
Episode 93: Badgers in the garden and Angell Town community gardeners visit Wisley.
We look at the benefits of leafmould and how we can create it, and general compost, for the garden. Plant suggestions for difficult situations and how to deal with usual and unusual autumn pests. We also catch up with gardeners from Angell Town on their visit to a master class at Wisley.
Episode 92: Glories of the Harvest Festival, giant pumpkins and get snapping!
The team visit the annual RHS London Harvest Show at the Lindley Hall to meet award-winning nursery growers and hear expert advice on fruit and vegetables as well as exploring the ever-popular Giant Pumpkin Competition. We also hear about some exciting changes to this year’s RHS Photographic Competition and as always, we have the latest news on events across our four gardens.
Episode 91: Lowdown on lily beetle, brightening up spring gardens with clever bulb combos and a visit to the Wisley Flower Show
The RHS Gardening Advice team tackle listeners' questions on dealing with lily beetles, which bulbs combine well for dazzling spring displays, and how to repair lawns after a summer of wear and tear. We also visit the Wisley Flower Show and meet visitors and growers including experts on ferns, dahlias and airplants. Useful links:
Take part in our lily beetle survey
RHS Advice: planting bulbs
Autumn lawn care
Episode 90: A rose garden fit for a queen, coping with critters and knowing your onions
This week we're at RHS Garden Wisley getting tips from the professionals on the very best rose varieties and what to plant with them for a long-lasting and fragrant display. Entomologist Andy Salisbury gives seasonal advice on dealing with vine weevils and chafer grubs, and resident vegetable expert Mario Di Pace shares his tips on growing onions, garlic and shallots - finishing with some delicious recipe ideas.
Episode 89: How to grow camellias in pots, dealing with trees near to buildings, apples and taking cuttings
The RHS Advice team answer listeners' questions on camelias, acers and caring for trees that are close to buildings; plus we have seasonal advice on apples and an expert guide to propagating tender perennials. Plus an update on late summer events across the four RHS Gardens.
Episode 88: Tatton calling! Tips from specialist growers; young designers' inspirations and more
We’re in Cheshire for the 2016 RHS Flower Show Tatton Park. Listen to all the best bits from the show including expert advice from local nurseries, the winning gardens in the 2016 RHS Young Designer of the Year Competition and all of the Tatton favourites, including inspiring ideas for back-to-back gardens.
Episode 87: Gardening QandA including pond algae, growing potatoes for Christmas and box tree moth; Wisley's big plans for the future
THis week we answer a bumper crop of gardening questions, including: • How to get clear water in your pond • Which fruit and veg are wildlife-friendly • How to grow bottlebrush plants • Growing potatoes for Christmas • Spotting and controlling box tree moth Plus Wisley's youngest-ever curator, Matthew Pottage discusses the garden's big plans for the future, and RHS edibles guru Jim Arbury gives advice on seasonal tasks in the vegetable and fruit garden.
Episode 86: A day at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2016
Renowned for its rose displays, fantastic shopping opportunities and innovative garden displays, the show is a wonderful day out for garden lovers of all ages and runs until the 10th July. We hear from garden designers at the show, speak to the winners of this year’s RHS and BBC Garden Design Competition, ’A Feel Good Front Garden’, and have some expert advice on creating gardens with man’s best friend in mind.
Episode 85: Pipping pests at the post, the RHS on Tour, and looking forward to the Chatsworth Flower Show 2017
We’re at Columbia Road Flower Market in East London with RHS on Tour - a pop-up event showcasing some of the best that RHS shows have to offer in local communities. We also hear details of our exciting new RHS Show at Chatsworth in 2017 and there's seasonal advice for jobs to do in your own gardens right now, including tips on spotting rosemary beetles and collecting seed.
Episode 84: Seasonal fruit tips, coping with caterpillars, bamboo control and Chelsea designers' secrets of moving plants
Wisley’s Edibles team give seasonal advice on caring for fruit, award-winning designers at the 2016 RHS Chelsea Flower Show have tips on moving plants and the RHS Gardening Advice team answer listeners' gardening queries on everything from pests including pigeons, caterpillars and squirrels, to keeping bamboo within bounds.
Episode 83: It's showtime! Fresh from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show; design inspirations and women making their mark
We talk to leading designers, celebrities and nursery-people at the world's most famous flower show, including Cleve West, Jo Thompson, Richard E Grant and Diarmuid Gavin. Discover the inspirations behind award-winning gardens, and join us as we celebrate a surge in female designer talent at this year's show.
Episode 82: Expert tips on growing vegetables and climbers and a look at the RHS Community Allotment programme
Get your garden into gear with professional advice on what to do now. We visit the RHS Allotment project at Wisley, and as always we have the latest news on events across our four RHS Gardens. The RHS Gardening Advice team answer listeners' seasonal questions on a wide range of topics including: • growing rainbow chard • how to prune early-flowering clematis • choosing the right jasmine for you • what to do if your daffodils didn't flower
Episode 81: Know your N-P-K, 150 years of 'The Garden' magazine and seasonal tips for growing your own
Hear our expert guide to fertilisers, including all you need to know about those essential nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium combinations. We celebrate 150 years of the RHS magazine for members, 'The Garden’ and we have what to do now tips from Wisley’s Edible plants team. Plus all the latest spring events across our four RHS Gardens.
Episode 80: Springing into action; seasonal tasks and Jekka McVicar talks gardening for health and happiness
Expert advice from RHS Garden Wisley on what to do in your garden this week, including controlling bindweed and preparing your pots. Our Horticultural Advisors answer listeners' questions on fig trees, repairing lawns and watering succulents. Also, herb expert and RHS Ambassador Jekka McVicar explores how to improve health and wellbeing through plants.
SCIENCE SPECIAL: looking at the new RHS Science Strategy
It's an exciting time for horticultural science, and in response to new opportunities (and new challenges), the RHS has launched a five year plan: the 'RHS Science Strategy 2015–2019'. We go behind the scenes to find out what this will mean for gardens and gardeners up and down the country, as well as unearthing details of exciting plans for a new science centre at RHS Garden Wisley.
Episode 79: Growing healthily, National Gardening Week and all change at the Lindley Library
We venture into the fruit and vegetable gardens at Wisley to learn what to do in March to ensure the best performance from your fruit and vegetables in the year ahead. We also hear about plans to keep gardeners fit during this year’s National Gardening Week and we have the latest on new additions to the RHS Lindley Library - an Aladdin's cave of rare books and exquisite botanical art which is now more accessible than ever before. All of that plus the latest news on Easter events across the four RHS Gardens.
Episode 78: Expert hacks from the Horticultural Halls, gardening questions answered and a guide to composting
We visit the RHS Early Spring Plant Fair in London for seasonal hints and tips from leading nurseries. We also hear an expert guide to composting and the RHS Gardening Advice team are on hand to answer listeners' gardening questions.
Episode 77: Rose Special - growing beautiful blooms with spectacular scent
As well as outlining gardening tasks you can do now our expert horticulturists, from RHS Garden Wisley, explain how to choose, plant and care for your roses, whether they are bush, climbers or hybrid teas. Plus the RHS advisors answer some of the most common questions gardeners ask about roses, and we have details of the latest RHS events.
Episode 76: Dividing snowdrops, seasonal rose care, fruit and veg in small spaces and houseplant inspiration
As the days finally start to lengthen, there's plenty to be getting on with in the garden. Matt Pottage, Curator at RHS Garden Wisley, gives advice on dividing snowdrops and what to do in the rose garden this month. Meanwhile, the Gardening Advice team tackle a range of questions, including: • Which fruit and veg to grow in a small shady area • Using 'vintage' recycled materials in your garden • How to spot box blight and what to plant instead We also get inspiration for houseplants from the Glasshouse at Wisley, and give details of events across the four RHS Gardens.
Episode 75: Dealing with extreme weather, vibrant stems for winter colour and turning a Blue Monday green
The RHS Gardening team at Wisley share their seasonal suggestions of what you can be doing in your greenhouses and gardens to get ahead for spring. We also hear expert advice on dealing with extreme weather including waterlogging and cold temperatures. We have news on the latest research into how gardening can improve mental and physical health, plus Matthew Pottage, Curator at RHS Garden Wisley, gives his suggestions for plants with coloured stems that bring that a much-needed injection of colour at this time of year.
Episode 74: Advice for the new year, quick screening plants and RHS Holidays
The garden team at Wisley give expert tips on the first jobs you should be doing this year including both soil and greenhouse preparation. Our team of horticultural advisors answer listeners' questions on a wide range of topics including.
• Quick-growing plants for screening • Growing monkey puzzle trees • Heritage apple recommendations
We also explore Italy with a look at RHS Gardening Holidays as well as events closer to home, with the latest on activities across the four RHS Gardens
RHS advice special - review of 2015
We take a look back at the highlights of the gardening calendar from the past 12 months. Hear the best bits from our fortnightly podcasts from 2015 as we give seasonal advice, go behind the scenes at our RHS Flower shows and discover hidden gems of our four RHS Gardens. With advice on a wide range of topics from Grow Your Own, plants for shade, pests and diseases, garden design and much more, our 2015 review is an essential listen for gardeners of any level.
Episode 73: Feeling festive - walking in a Wisley wonderland, poinsettia tips and how to grow your own cranberries The RHS Gardening Advice team answer seasonal questions on festive favourites including poinsettias, cranberries and scented wreaths. RHS Wisley’s new curator, Matthew Pottage talks us through the gardens' winter highlights and we have the latest news on Christmas and New Year events across our the RHS Gardens
Episode 72: Winter walks and seasonal advice
Many plants are winding down for winter, however December is still a busy time for gardeners. We speak to the team at RHS Garden Wisley to find out the seasonal jobs they are doing around the garden. Our RHS Advisors answer your questions on subjects including: starting in a new garden from scratch, planting apple trees and how to care for olive trees. We discover the berries, flowers, colourful stems and evergreen foliage on display in Wisley's Winter Walk. There is also an update of the latest events taking place at our four RHS Gardens.
Episode 71: Drought and flood advice and gardening icons
Droughts and floods cause problems for gardeners - but what if your garden suffers from both? Our expert RHS Advisors offer tips and discuss their latest research in this area. We speak to plantsman Matthew Biggs about his latest book, ‘RHS Lessons from Great Gardeners: Forty Gardening Icons and What They Teach Us’; and as the festive period fast approaches, we have details of events across our four RHS Gardens.
Episode 70: How to get your garden ready for winter, gardening Q and As and planting bare-root trees
Matt Pottage, Acting Curator at RHS Garden Wisley gives expert advice on seasonal tasks. The RHS Gardening Advice team answer listeners' questions on topics including:
• Growing climbers in shade • Suggestions on how to get started in a new garden • Ideas for potted wedding presents
Plus we have a comprehensive guide to planting bare-root trees as well as the latest news on events across our four RHS Gardens.
RHS Flower Shows special 2016
We take you behind the scenes of the world-famous RHS flower shows, with sneak previews of what’s in store at RHS shows for 2016, how to get discounted tickets, plus highlights of an outstanding 2015 season.
John MacLeod lecture - 'Gardening Planet Earth - Sustainable Horticulture'
Is 'wildness' an inviolable concept, or with 7 billion of us on planet earth, is the whole world in fact a garden? And can we as gardeners make a difference to the fate of the planet and its biodiversity?
Hosted by the RHS at the Lindley Hall in London, the John MacLeod Annual Lecture has fast become a prestigious event, highlighting important and inspiring topics on horticultural science. This year, Professor Stephen Blackmore CBE, spoke on 'Gardening Planet Earth - Sustainable Horticulture'. Download this podcast to hear the lecture in full.
Episode 69: Autumn Harvests - expert talks on edibles to plant now, how to eat nettles and how to store your harvest
Further reporting from the RHS London Harvest Show - we hear a selection of talks from the show on everything from growing and harvesting to storing your crops without refridgeration right through to next spring. Wild food expert Claudio Bincoletto extols the virtues of nettles and other foraged greens. Plus seasonal advice on growing fruit and vegetables and information on events and workshops across the RHS Gardens.
Episode 68: The RHS London Harvest Show and hidden gems of RHS Wisley’s Glasshouse
We visit the recent RHS London Harvest Festival Show to hear expert advice from growers on how to get the best performance from your homegrown fruit and vegetables - including apples, garlic and broad beans. We also round up the productive year and hear which crops have performed well. In addition, we visit The Glasshouse at RHS Garden Wisley to discover some of its hidden gems; and as always, we have details of events across all four RHS Gardens.
Episode 67: Seasonal advice for growing fruit and vegetables, plus glasshouse essentials
The fruit team at RHS Garden Wisley have expert seasonal tips on growing the tastiest fruit and vegetables, and the advice team are on hand with expert advice to your gardening questions, including..
• How to ensure your pears perform • Caring for courgettes • Choosing the right pea
We also continue our series of gardening essentials with a focus on Glasshouses, where we discuss the ‘must-have’ kit for every gardener. Plus we have the latest news on events across our four RHS Gardens.
Episode 66: Expert tips on dahlias, apples and more; plus a guide to garden ponds
Hear the pick of the crop of seasonal gardening advice from RHS experts, covering both edible and ornamental gardening. Topics covered include
• Dahlias in the autumn garden • Cyclamen for difficult spots • Harvesting apples and pears • Fruit diseases and how to prevent them
We also take a look at ponds - which type to choose and how best to populate them; plus, as always, the latest news on events across all four RHS Gardens
Episode 65: Good bugs, bad bugs; how to beat weeds and seasonal gardening questions answered
Senior RHS Entomologist Andrew Salisbury reveals the result of a four year scientific study into ‘Plants for Bugs’ which examined the effectiveness of different plants into attracting beneficial insects into our gardens. The Science team also discuss a brand new pest they have discovered affecting agapanthus flowers. We also have ideas for gardening jobs you could be doing in over the coming weeks, and the RHS Advisory team answer listeners’ seasonal gardening queries, including detailed advice on strategies to overcome weed problems.
Episode 64: Cold blooded killers under the microscope, foliage plants and fruit-growing essentials
We visit the Pathology team at RHS Garden Wisley to learn about the methods and techniques they use to help inform gardeners about common plant diseases. Deputy Curator at Wisley, Matthew Pottage, gives us his tips on using foliage plants to create borders with year-round interest; and we have another instalment of our ‘Gardening Essentials’ series where we are back in the fruit garden to learn about the tools and tricks that every gardener needs. Also hear ideas on seasonal gardening tasks, as well as the latest news on RHS events.
Episode 63: Masterclasses on fuchsias and more, plus in-depth advice on strawberries and tomatoes
Hear a series of masterclasses on caring for popular plants including fuschias, hostas and lilies. Also, the RHS Gardening Advice team at Wisley answer listeners’ seasonal questions, including:
• Growing strawberries • Watering tomatoes • Creating green driveways
And you can find out about the latest events across the four RHS Gardens.
Episode 62: Insider’s guide to RHS Flower Show Tatton Park 2015 and tips on pruning tools
Tune in and plan your visit to the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park in Cheshire. Highlights include interviews with the RHS Young Designer of the Year competitors, as well as from a gold medal-winning garden designer. In this edition of Gardening Essentials there’s some really useful advice on pruning tools for the fruit garden, and we also have the latest on summer events for all the family across our four RHS gardens.
Episode 61: Highlights from the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show and Greening Grey Britain
On this edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast we visit the 2015 RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show and hear highlights from the showground as we celebrate Hampton’s 25th Anniversary. We also have news on how you can get involved in a major new RHS campaign ‘Greening Grey Britain’ and our RHS Advisors are on hand to answer your seasonal gardening questions including:
• Growing marrows • Advice on trees growing close to buildings • How to propagate clematis
We also have the latest news on summer events across our four RHS Gardens.
Episode 60: Summer watering, lawn care and the best plants for June
Our experts focus on watering, and there’s summer advice on hose attachments and how and when to water your lawns. We continue our regular feature on Gardening Essentials as the team discuss the tools and tricks that every gardener needs. We also have suggestions of Award of Garden Merit Plants for June, which include some fabulous roses, and the RHS’ science team tells us about their latest research projects on:
• Greening • Climate • Ivy
Episode 59: Seasonal jobs, questions answered and an essential guide to weeding
Our expert teams at Wisley give seasonal advice on jobs to do in your kitchen gardens right now. In our regular guides to Gardening Essentials, we tackle weeding, including tips on selecting the right hoe.
Our team of Horticultural Advisors at RHS Wisley answer listeners’ questions on a diverse range of topics including
• Creating a blue border • Growing the perfect sunflower • Growing seeds in space!
We also have the latest news on summer events across our four RHS Gardens including a focus on the 25th anniversary of the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.
Episode 58: A plants special – plant combinations from award-winning Chelsea gardens and the best garden performers
It’s all about the plants as we hear from award-winning designers Adam Frost, Matt Wilson and Chris Beardshaw, who discuss their choices of planting combinations for their gardens at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, as well as expert tips on agapanthus, perennials and more, plus:
• Our selection of the best-performing plants, includingpoppies and peonies • A special report on a great alternative to the busy lizzie - the New Guinea impatiens • We also have advice on seasonal gardening jobs as well as details of the latest events across the four RHS Gardens.
Episode 57: The not-so-humble umbel, and listeners seasonal questions answered
In this episode, Phil Clayton, Assistant Editor of RHS Members’ magazine The Garden explores all the umbel has to offer, and gives us an insight into his favourites – there’s so much more to them than cow parsley… Plus our expert advisors answer visitors gardening queries at the recent RHS Great London Plant Fair, and the gardening team at RHS Garden Wisley give advice on what you can be doing in your own gardens right now. And, as always, details of wonderful events coming up at our four RHS Gardens.
Episode 56: We preview the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2015
As the pinnacle of the gardening calendar rapidly approaches, and build-up to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is underway, we take a behind-the-scenes peek and speak to a range of new and award-winning designers about their plans for this year.
Show Garden designer Jo Thompson tells all about her sponsor’s garden, The Retreat for M and G Investments, we talk to 2014 BBC and RHS Chelsea People’s Choice winner Matt Keightley, as well as the youngest ever Chelsea design duo, the Rich Brothers. We also have the latest news on other Chelsea highlights, as well as reminders about this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show and other gardening events across our four RHS Gardens.
Episode 55: A comprehensive guide to orchids, plus gardening essentials
In this edition, we visit the recent European Orchid Show and Conference at the Royal Horticultural Halls in London for a foolproof guide to caring for Phalaenopsis (moth orchids). Plus, in the first instalment of our new garden essentials feature, our experts from RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey discuss the best gloves and pruning tools to have in your shed. There’s also seasonal advice on current jobs you can be doing in your garden, and the latest news on events across our four RHS Gardens.
Episode 54: Spring lawn care and expert seasonal advice
As we approach National Gardening Week, we have the latest news on special events across our four RHS gardens and a host of seasonal advice. As well as tips on pond maintenance we have a thorough guide to spring lawn care to help you get it in great condition.
Also our the RHS advice team answer your gardening questions, including queries on: • helping olive trees to fruit • cutting back hydrangeas • choosing slug-resilient hostas
Episode 53: Top 10 pest enquiries and RHS Partner Gardens looking good in spring
In this edition, RHS Senior Entomologist Dr Andrew Salisbury counts down the annual top ten garden pests enquired about in the past 12 months. We also focus on RHS Partner Gardens looking good now across the UK and, as always, there’s seasonal advice on gardening jobs you can be doing, including…
• Glasshouse maintenance • Pruning of fruit trees • Long term weed prevention
Plus, the latest news and events at our 4 RHS Gardens at Harlow Carr, Hyde Hall, Rosemoor and Wisley.
Episode 52: RHS Seed Scheme and Butterflies in the Glasshouse at RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey
We visit RHS Garden Wisley’s fantastic Butterflies in the Glasshouse exhibition and our expert team of horticultural advisors answer listeners’ questions including:
• Suggestions for planting in a north-facing garden • How to deal with Japanese knotweed • Selecting trees for planting in containers
Plus we have seasonal advice on preparing seeds for propagation, and the latest news on events across the four RHS Gardens.
Episode 51: Growing your own herbs and caring for snowdrops
We visit the RHS Garden Wisley fruit team for advice on what you should be doing in February with fruit trees such as apples and pears. We have expert advice on growing herbs from seed by bestselling author and RHS Council member, Jekka McVicar.
We also talk to Garden Manager Markus Radscheit about his love for snowdrops and his advice to gardeners on creating great winter displays.
Plus we have all the latest news on events across the four RHS Gardens.
Episode 50: Celebratory clips from Alan Titchmarsh, Mary Berry and Colin Crosbie, plus pruning wisteria, winter tips and a chance to win show tickets
We celebrate the 50th episode of the RHS Gardening Podcasts with some of our favourite moments from the archives, including words of horticultural wisdom from the likes of gardening guru Alan Titchmarsh, baking queen and keen RHS Member Mary Berry and Curator of RHS Garden Wisley Colin Crosbie.
We also have topical seasonal advice for what you should be doing in your garden right now including: • How to prune wisteria • Tips on dealing with winter winds and snow. • The RHS advice team answer your latest gardening questions
PLUS: latest news on Winter events across our four RHS Gardens, and your chance to win a pair of tickets worth £70 to this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.
Episode 49: Tackling problem areas of dry shade and growing chillies successfully
We have expert seasonal advice on what you could be doing in your garden on a bright, crisp winter’s day including:
• Caring for blackberries • Choosing the right size pot for re-potting plants
We also have handy tips on growing chillies and sweet peppers, as well as tips for selecting plants to grow in problem areas of dry shade.
Plus, we have the latest news on RHS events across the four RHS Gardens
Episode 48: Gardening bestsellers and expert advice to start the new year
On the first 2015 edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast RHS Head of Libraries, Fiona Davison completes her guide to the best-selling gardening books of all time. We ask staff at the RHS what they are looking forward to in the year ahead and we have the latest news on events at RHS Gardens and RHS Shows. Plus, our expert team of advisors are on hand to answer your seasonal gardening queries including:
• Caring for camellias • Tips for dealing with bindweed • Getting the best from your coffee plants
Episode 47: Bestselling books, help our research and looking after birds this winter
In this Christmas edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast, Head of Libraries and Exhibitions Fiona Davison talks us through the biggest bestsellers in gardening books. RHS Horticultural Advisor Jenny Bowden asks for your help in important RHS gardening research. Plus we have expert advice on caring for birds in your garden over the Christmas period.
Episode 46: Controlling pests in winter and looking at plants with a bad reputation in a new light
The advisory team at RHS Garden Wisley are on hand to answer your winter gardening questions on subjects including:
• Tips for planting allium bulbs • Changing the colour of hydrangeas • First aid for damaged lawns
Deputy Curator, Matthew Pottage makes the case for plants with a bad press such as pampas grass and heathers.
Plus, we have the latest news on Christmas activities and events across the four RHS Gardens including the highly anticipated ‘Narnia’ trail at RHS Garden Wisley.
Episode 45: Seasonal advice, troubleshooting plant diseases and choosing gardening gifts for Christmas
We hear seasonal advice from the team at RHS Garden Wisley gardening team including:
• Hedge trimming • Tree planting • Dealing with worm casts
Geoff Denton from the RHS Plant Pathology team discusses diseases that may prevail this winter and Chief Horticultural Advisor Leigh Hunt selects his range of Christmas gift ideas from the Wisley Plant Centre.
We also have all the latest news in up-coming events across the four RHS Gardens.
Episode 44: What to do now, plus tips on how to get better fruit and veg next year
The team at RHS Garden Wisley have advice on what you should be doing now in your garden as the festive season approaches, including:
• Preparing the glasshouse for winter • Caring for climbing roses • Cultivating figs for a good harvest next year
Our expert team review this year's crops and give tips for even better fruit and vegetables next year.
Plus, we have the latest news on events coming up to Christmas across the four RHS Gardens.
Episode 43: Container-growing for winter interest and crops for the kitchen table
We’re at RHS Garden Wisley with the Advisory Team who are on hand to answer your seasonal gardening queries including:
• How to grow a wildflower meadow from seed • How to ‘puppy-proof’ your garden • What type of slug pellets to choose
Garden Manager, Matthew Pottage talks us through the jobs his team is doing right now, including lawn maintenance and planting bulbs. We also hear inspiration from expert growers on ideas for growing fruit and vegetables in containers.
Plus, we have the latest news on forthcoming events across the four RHS Gardens.
Episode 42: Harvest delights and great plants to attract pollinators
In this edition we suggest some plants for all-year-round interest that encourage beneficial insects into your garden.
We have expert seasonal advice on:
• Achieving the perfect pumpkin • Growing award-winning apple and pear trees in your garden • Delicious recipe suggestions to try for your autumn vegetables
Plus we have a pick of the month’s best RHS Award of Garden Merit plants and, as always, the latest news on events across the four RHS Gardens.
Episode 41: Managing microclimates - making the weather work for you in your garden
Get advice on how to tackle climatic conditions within your garden. Also, the RHS Garden Wisley team are on hand with their thoughts on jobs you should be doing in your gardens right now touching on autumn raspberries, caring for houseplants, and dividing herbaceous perennials to increase your stock on garden favourites.
Also, the RHS Advice team lend their expert knowledge to your gardening queries including:
- Choosing plants for shade
- Identifying puzzling apple pests
- How to ripen green tomatoes
And as always we have the latest news on events across the four RHS Gardens.
Episode 40: Expert plant advice from the RHS Plant Day, Cotswold Wildlife Park
We visit the recent RHS Plant Day at the Cotswold Wildlife Park and hear from members of two RHS plant committees who were on hand to speak to visitors about their gardening successes and problems.
We learn how to care for a range of ornamental plants and as always we have expert advice on what you should be doing in your garden now.
Plus, we have the latest news on events across the four RHS Gardens in the coming weeks.
Episode 39: Mary Berry opens the Wisley Flower Show 2014 and your gardening questions answered
We’re at RHS Garden Wisley with RHS ambassador and celebrity chef, Mary Berry as she opens this year’s Wisley Flower Show. Mary discusses her love of gardening, being an RHS member and her favourite parts of RHS Garden Wisley.
The RHS Gardening Advice team are on hand to answer your questions including:
• Suggestions for plants to grow on windy balconies • How to source interesting varieties of fruit trees • How to make a trellis for climbers such as clematis
We discuss seasonal tasks and have all the latest news on events in September across our four world-class RHS Gardens, including the spectacular Wisley Flower Show.
Episode 38: James Wong's guide to growing flavour-filled fruit and veg, plus a focus on carnivorous plants
We’re joined by botanist and horticulturalist James Wong, who reveals his unique advice on how to achieve maximum flavour for minimum expenditure when growing your own fruit and veg.
Nigel Hewitt Cooper discusses the essentials for caring for carnivorous plants, and we have expert seasonal advice for what you should be doing in your garden right now from the gardening team at RHS Wisley, including…
• Watering woody perennials • Cutting hedges • Caring for lavender
We also have all the latest news on late summer events across our four world-class RHS Gardens, including the spectacular Wisley Flower Show in September.
Episode 37: Bonsai, dragon quests and your gardening questions answered
The RHS Gardening Advice team are on hand to answer your seasonal gardening questions including:
• How do I deal with a problem honeysuckle? • Why isn’t my perennial poppy flowering? • How should I care for an apple tree grown from a pip?
We also have a special feature on bonsai with expert growing tips from the Mendip Bonsai Studio in Wales and some key advice from Wisley Garden Manager Matthew Pottage on watering throughout the summer months.
We have news of forthcoming RHS Garden events including The Great Garden Quest, sponsored by Witan Investment Trust - a summer-long family adventure featuring sword-fighting and dragons across the four RHS Gardens.
Episode 36: Allotment advice and inspiration, and great high-summer flowering plants to try in your garden
Experts at RHS Flower Show Tatton share inspiring ideas and advice for managing and maintaining allotments, and we have expert advice on what you should be doing in your garden right now. Also hear a selection of Award of Garden Merit plants of the month suggested by The Garden magazine’s Phil Clayton.
We speak to this year’s finalists in the RHS Young Designer of The Year competition as well as their mentor, designer Paul Hervey Brookes at the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park 2014, on until 27 July, and show manager Kris Hulewicz gives us his guide to the show’s four zones - Escape, Grow, Inspire and Feast.
In addition we have the latest events across all four RHS Gardens.
Episode 35: A focus on the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2014
This week we bring you all the highlights from this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 8-13 July, including features on:
• Hand-On potting bench demonstrations • Ocean Spray’s eye-catching garden display • John Wheatley’s celebration of 50 years of Britain in Bloom • The RHS Entomology team’s ‘Invisible Garden' • Tony Smith’s imaginative turf competition
Plus the RHS Advisory team answer your July gardening queries including solutions for sloping and wet lawns, caring for tomatoes and ideas for July vegetable planting.
In addition, we have news on the latest summer events across the four RHS Gardens.
Episode 34 : Top performing plants, pond-care and tips from the kitchen garden
We have expert tips for what you should be doing in your gardens now, plus a special feature on container ponds for gardens of all sizes – all from top experts at the recent RHS Flower Show Birmingham at BBC Gardeners’ World Live.
Also at RHS Garden Wisley we learn how to troubleshoot common problems in the kitchen garden including:
• Helpful advice on growing sweetcorn • Spotting garlic rust • Harvesting fruit
We catch up with RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show manager, Dave Green for a preview of the show and Feature Editor of The Garden magazine, Phil Clayton selects his top-performing plants for June.
We have all of this, as well as the latest news on events across the four RHS Gardens.
Episode 33 : Improving borders and your gardening questions answered
We visit the RHS Advisory Team at RHS Garden Wisley for expert answers to your seasonal gardening questions, including:
• What plants will thrive on my windy balcony? • How can I grow a lawn without patches? • What can I grow in clay soil?
RHS Wisley Garden Manager, Matthew Pottage has great suggestions for theming your borders and Alan Titchmarsh talks about RHS Gardens and picks a favourite.
We also have the latest news on events across all four of our RHS Gardens.
Episode 32: Top performing seasonal plants and an expert guide to conifers
Garden Manager of RHS Garden Wisley, Matthew Pottage explains why every garden needs a conifer, plus we have a focus on and appreciation of crown imperial flowers.
RHS experts pick top performing seasonal selections to brighten your patch and the RHS Wisley gardening team are on hand to give their advice on what you should be doing in your gardens right now including:
• Considering sub-tropical borders • Looking out for pests and diseases • Sowing a range of herbs for the kitchen
Plus, we have the latest news on events across the four RHS Gardens at Wisley in Surrey, Harlow Carr in North Yorkshire, Hyde Hall in Essex and Rosemoor in Devon.
RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2014 special
We take you behind the scenes during the exiting build-up to the world’s most famous flower show. We hear from garden designers including Cleve West, Adam Frost and Matt Keightley about the inspirations behind their RHS Chelsea Flower Show gardens.
Alan Titchmarsh celebrates 50 years of the RHS Britain in Bloom campaign and we also hear from the RHS apprentices who have been given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work on some of Chelsea's high profile gardens.
Episode 31: Lots of seasonal advice and a focus on growing beans and peas
On this edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast we make our monthly visit to the RHS Advisory Team at RHS Garden Wisley to hear expert answers to your gardening questions, including:
• How can I deal with wild garlic that’s growing in my garden? • How do I keep cats off my beds and borders? • How do I prune a rampant fig tree?
Plus, we’ve expert advice on selecting varieties of beautiful beans and perfect peas, and handy tips from the Wisley gardening team on what you should be doing in your garden right now.
As always, we have the latest news on events across the four RHS Gardens.
Episode 30: How to make your garden wildlife-friendly and the best performing seasonal plants
On this edition of The RHS Gardening Podcast, author of The Wildlife Gardener Kate Bradbury, shares her suggestions on how to make a garden more attractive to wildlife. Features Editor of the RHS members’ magazine The Garden Phil Clayton, selects his RHS Award Of Garden Merit plants of the month.
There’s advice on what you should be doing in your own garden now from the RHS Wisley Garden team including:
• Mulching flower beds • Sowing and harvesting vegetables • Pruning shrubs such as Forsythia and Camellia
Plus, as always, we have the latest news on events across the four RHS Gardens.
Episode 29: Seasonal and expert plant advice from the RHS Great London Plant Fair
In this edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast we celebrate spring at RHS Great London Plant Fair 2014 at The Royal Horticultural Halls in Vincent Square, London. Our team of horticultural advisors are live at The Lindley Hall answering your gardening questions such as
• How do I protect lilies from slugs? • When is the best time to move a hellebore? • What climbers can I plant on my south-west facing balcony?
We’ll also hear tips on what you should be doing in your own gardens now from nurseries exhibiting at the plant fair including taking cuttings from chrysanthemums, caring for Agapanthus and looking out for lily beetles.
Plus, we have the latest news on RHS Shows throughout 2014 including RHS Secret Garden Sundays as well as upcoming events at the four RHS Gardens.
Episode 28: Perfect potatoes and pest prevention
In this edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast, we visit the recent RHS Potato Day at the RHS London Plant and Design Show for a guide to cultivating the perfect potato. We’ll hear about
• Choosing a variety • Looking out for pests and disease • The results of the RHS Potato trials
Plus, RHS Senior Entomologist, Andrew Salisbury reveals the top ten most troublesome pests of 2013.
As always, we have the latest news of events across the four RHS Gardens.
Britain in Bloom 50th anniversary special
In this special edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast we celebrate the 50th anniversary of RHS Britain in Bloom. We look at how Britain in Bloom helps to create lasting improvements to local environments for people across the UK as we visit Bloom projects in both Bath and Manchester. We hear about what’s in store for our golden anniversary and how you and your community can get involved.
Episode 27: Garden design for small spaces and seasonal tips from the RHS London Plant and Design Show and The RHS Gardening Advice team
On this edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast, garden designer and writer James Alexander Sinclair returns with his guide to designing for small spaces. We visit the RHS London Plant and Design Show for seasonal tips from some of the UK’s finest nurseries, and the RHS Gardening Advice team are on hand to answer your gardening questions, including:
• How to treat a waterlogged lawn • How to make your own compost • How to care for tomato seedlings
Plus as always, we have news on the latest events across all four of the RHS Gardens.
Episode 26: Preparing the vegetable garden, garden design and the RHS Seed Scheme
On this edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast, sponsored by Visit Wales we visit RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey for seasonal tips on what you should be doing in your garden now, including:
• Treating recent tree damage • Looking out for diseases occurring in spring • Preparing your vegetable garden
Also, we’re joined by garden designer James Alexander Sinclair for his expert guide to garden design for gardens of every size and we hear about the RHS Seed Scheme which collects and distributes seeds from garden plants to RHS members.
Plus, as always we have news on the latest events across all four of the RHS Gardens.
Episode 25: A winter walk at RHS Garden Wisley, pond care and your gardening questions answered
In this edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast, we’re at RHS Garden Wisley where Garden Manager, Matthew Pottage takes us on a guided tour of the new winter walk project.
Plus, we visit the advice team where expert RHS advisors answer your gardening questions including how to reinvigorate lavender, how to prune Wisteria and how to prepare potatoes before planting.
Also, members of the RHS Garden Wisley team are on hand with advice on what you should be doing in your garden right now, including:
• February pond care • Collecting birch and hazel cuttings for staking perennials • Preparing your vegetable garden
And, as always we have the latest news on events and offers across all four of the RHS Gardens.
Episode 24: Seasonal jobs, shrub selection and gardening stories from the RHS Lindley Library
In this edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast we visit the Lindley Library at the RHS headquarters in Vincent Square, London to hear some fascinating tales from the gardening archives as Head of Libraries and Exhibitions, Fiona Davison picks out her highlights from the collection. Also, Principal Horticultural Advisor, Leigh Hunt is on hand to give his recommendations for shrubs for seasonal scent and the RHS Garden Wisley team outlines jobs you should be doing in your garden right now, including:
• Weeding beds • Renovating old fruit trees • Re-potting larger houseplants
Plus, as always, we have the latest news on events and offers across our four RHS Gardens.
Episode 23: Repairs caused by extreme weather, seasonal gardening questions and butterflies at Wisley
On the first edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast for 2014, our experts have suggestions for repairing damage caused by the recent wet and windy weather. We have butterflies in the Greenhouse at RHS Garden Wisley, and the RHS Advisory team are on hand to tackle your January questions. Plus expert information on;
• Growing on Christmas plants such as hyacinths, poinsettias and Christmas trees • Sourcing and creating compost • The advantages of raised beds
And as always there’s news of the latest events across our four RHS Gardens.
Episode 22: Seasonal advice, selecting seeds, and visiting winter gardens around the UK
On this final edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast for 2013, the Wisley Garden team give suggestions for those final jobs of the year including..
• Plants for free by making root cuttings • Preparing your soil • Searching through seed catalogues
Plus, Phil Clayton, features editor on the RHS’ award-winning The Garden magazine, sifts through the best of the seed catalogues and recommends top seeds to try for 2014 and RHS Garden Visits Editor Sian Thomas introduces her guide to RHS partner gardens to visit throughout the winter.
All of that, and the latest news on events across our four RHS Gardens.
Episode 21: Inspirational Books, expert seasonal advice and Christmas events at our four gardens
We visit the gardening team at Wisley for seasonal tips on what you should be doing in your garden right now, including…
• Protecting your trees from winter pests • Winter pruning of acers • Preparing your hellebores
Also we’re joined by editor Chris Young, from the RHS’ award-winning ‘The Garden’ magazine, for his pick of the best gardening books of 2013. And the RHS Advisory Team are on hand to answer your gardening questions including…
• How to deal with frozen ponds in winter • Dealing with slugs and snails, outdoors and in. • How to spot and deal with Japanese Knotweed
Plus, we have the latest news on Christmas events across all four RHS Gardens.
Episode 20: Christmas plants, presents and preparation
On this edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast we get festive as Christmas fast approaches. Our horticultural experts give their suggestions on
• Gifts for gardeners • How to choose and care for Christmas plants including Amaryllis, poinsettias. hyacinths and Christmas trees • How to create a stunning wreath from your own garden
Plus as always, the Wisley gardening team are on hand to suggest jobs that you can be doing now in your own gardens now including
• Bed renovation • Pond maintenance • Pest prevention
And we have the latest news on events across our four RHS gardens.
Episode 19: Foraging, plus preparing for winter and other seasonal advice from the RHS
Our team of Horticultural Advisors are on hand to answer your seasonal gardening questions including…
• How to recognise and treat honey fungus • How to protect tender plants from frost • Suggestions for colour-themed containers to plant for spring
We also speak to forager Yun Hilder at the RHS London Autumn Harvest Show for an introduction to this increasingly popular phenomenon. Yun explains the do’s and don’ts of foraging in the wild and in your own garden.
Plus members of the garden team at RHS Wisley give their advice on what you should be doing now in your own gardens including
• Planting hedges • Winter rain protection • Preparing your greenhouse for winter
And as always we have the latest news on events across all four RHS Gardens at Harlow Carr, Hyde Hall, Rosemoor and Wisley.
Episode 18: Autumn colour and seasonal advice at the RHS London Shades of Autumn Show
Join our seasonal celebration as we visit the RHS Shades of Autumn Show at Vincent Square in London where we:
• Talk to exhibiting nurseries about suggestions for autumn colour • Join the RHS advisory team as they tackle visitors’ gardening queries
And at RHS Wisley we catch up with the team and hear their suggestions for what you should be doing in your own gardens right now, including:
• Planting up containers with winter bedding • Taking hardwood cuttings • Collecting material for autumn floral decoration
We have all the latest news on events across our four RHS gardens, plus your chance to WIN £50 worth of RHS books by entering our podcast survey.
Episode 17: Celebrate the autumn harvest
On this edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast, we're at the RHS London Harvest Festival Show with expert advice on:
• Giant pumpkins, heritage tomatoes and the secrets to growing the perfect potato • How to choose the perfect apple for every garden, big or small
We'll also be hearing winter tips from the team at RHS Garden Wisley including how to prune a climbing rose, how to wrap your bananas, and advice on dry seed heads for winter decoration.
As always we'll have the latest news on events across the four RHS Gardens. This is also your chance to win £50 of RHS Books by completing our Podcast survey (www.rhs.org.uk/podcastsurvey).
Episode 16: Preparing the vegetable plot for next year and gardening ideas for this autumn
The team at RHS Garden Wisley give their expert advice on protecting your plants from winter weather, including:
• A guide to frost protection for dahlias and tree ferns • To dig or not to dig? How to prepare your soil to give next year's vegetables a head start • Autumn house plant care
The RHS Advisory Service answers your latest gardening queries and we have the latest news on events in October across all four RHS Gardens at Harlow Carr, Hyde Hall, Rosemoor and Wisley
Episode 15: Inspirational grasses, autumn lawn care, and more jobs to do right now
Timely tasks in the garden, focussing on ornamental grasses and lawn care. We have a step-by-step guide to autumn lawn care by RHS Wisley Garden Manager, Matthew Pottage, and we're also joined by Neil Lucas, nurseryman of Knoll Gardens, to hear his expert suggestions for ornamental grasses that you can use in your garden.
Plus we have autumnal advice and ideas for what you should be doing in your garden now including:
• Spotting red spider mite and harlequin ladybirds • Dividing herbaceous perennials • Planting spring cabbages
And as always there's news of the latest events across our four RHS gardens.
Episode 14: September at RHS Wisley
On this edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast, we explore RHS Wisley in September with Garden Manager Matthew Pottage. Our team of Horticultural Advisors answer your latest gardening questions and the garden teams give their expert seasonal practical advice including tips on harvesting this year's bumper crops of apples and how to deal with vine weevil. Plus as always we have the latest news on events across all four RHS Gardens.
Episode 13: Summer highlights from stunning RHS Garden Rosemoor
On this edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast we travel to Devon with plantsman Matthew Biggs for a guided tour of RHS Garden Rosemoor.
We'll be focussing on Rosemoor through the seasons, featuring a peek behind-the-scenes of the rose garden, cottage garden and Mediterranean garden.
Matthew is also joined by members of the Rosemoor team to hear their expert advice on - fruit and veg - lawn care - and hedge maintenance.
And we have news on the latest events at all four of our RHS Gardens.
Episode 12: Advice on small trees for the garden, plus choosing and caring for houseplants
In this edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast we visit RHS Garden Wisley for advice from Garden Manager Matthew Pottage on selecting and caring for small trees suitable for gardens
Members of the glasshouse team select their recommendations for houseplants for every home The RHS Advisory Service answer some of your timely gardening questions
Plus, seasonal practical seasonal advice including - deadheading Pelargonium - treating potential flower problems - how to tell when your sweetcorn is ready to pick
And as always we have news on the latest events at our four RHS Gardens.
Episode 11: Late summer colour at Tatton Park show, plus planting autumn bulbs, pest control and pruning wisteria
In this edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast we visit the 2013 RHS Flower Show Tatton Park. - Show manager Kris Hulewicz introduces Tatton's four new distinctive Zones, Grow, Feast, Inspire and Escape - Nurserymen give us their recommendations for plants to achieve late summer colour - Nurseryman Aldo Ciampittiello introduces us to airplants
Plus, seasonal practical advice from our Wisley Garden team including
- Planting autumn bulbs and summer pruning of wisteria
- Combatting scale insects and red spider mite
- Pruning bay trees and growing more lilies for free
Episode 10: 'Escape' to the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2013
We're at the 2013 RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show with a special focus on the brand new 'Escape' zone where we'll be - Exploring the Butterfly dome - Hearing about the launch of Rose of the Year 2014 in the 1950s-themed Rose Marquee - Discovering delicious Grow Your Own recipes from as far afield as Italy and Thailand in the Growing Tastes Marquee.
We also have up-to-the-minute tips from Hampton Court Flower Show's nurserymen and experts on: - Pond maintenance - Sowing climbing beans - Caring for Irises
Also, The RHS Advisory Team answer your latest gardening questions and, as always, we have news on all the latest events across our four RHS Gardens.
Episode 9: Gardening for all the family, summer flower arrangements, GYO tips, and seasonal advice from Wisley
Gardening for the whole family with activities and inspiration for gardeners of all ages. The Dorchester Hotel's Head florist, Philip Hammond, shares his tips for preserving cut flowers and putting together a winning combination for a mid-summer arrangement, plus: - Wisley Gardeners give expert tips on treating Aphids - Staking tall plants - All you need to know on pinching out side shoots on tomatoes
Episode 8: Summer at Wisley, caring for fruit and veg and the RHS Advisory Team
Our Wisley Gardeners give expert tips on growing corguettes, ensuring the best crop from apple trees and caring for houseplants, plus Garden Manager Matthew Pottage selects his summer highlights at RHS Garden Wisley. Also the RHS Advisory Team answer your gardening questions on: - Controlling bindweed - Growing sweet peas - Potatoes in bags
Chelsea Flower Show Centenary special, Part 2
We have exclusive interviews with a selection of the internationally-renowned designers who have created Chelsea gardens this year, as RHS Director General Sue Biggs introduces a programme that celebrates the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2013. Our Centenary special features:
• Inspirational insights, tips and techniques, and ideas for your garden at home • Award-medal winning designers Jinny Blom, Christopher Bradley-Hole, Adam Frost, Ulf Nordfjel and Roger Platts • We reveal surprising edible plants, like hostas and ferns! • Plants for night scent
Also includes: • Sustainability and wildlife • Family gardens • Growing your own fruit and vegetables • Ideas for small spaces and containers
Whether you have a country cottage, a suburban semi-detached or a few containers on a window ledge, there’s something in this Chelsea Flower show special to inspire everyone who loves their garden...
Episode 7: Plants for Scent, how plant displays win an RHS gold medal, and seasonal advice from RHS Garden Wisley
Award-winning writer Nigel Colborn joins RHS experts to discuss how to introduce year round scent in your garden, including unusual plants, trees, foliage and flowers. Also: - As the Centenary of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show fast approaches, Chair of Judges Jekka McVicar explains the secrets to winning a coveted gold medal for a plant display at the prestigious RHS flower shows. - Expert seasonal advice from the team at RHS Wisley, including how to tell when the risk of frost has passed.
Chelsea Flower Show Centenary special, Part 1
This special edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast celebrates 100 years of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. RHS Director General Sue Biggs introduces a programme that explores the history of The Chelsea Flower Show, including: - Memorable moments from Alan Titchmarsh, Jekka McVikka and more - Win tickets for Chelsea 2014 - What it takes to put on the greatest flower show in the world - What you can expect from this year's Centenary celebrations - Experts including designer James Alexander-Sinclair, RHS Historian Brent Elliot, and plantsman Matthew Biggs - RHS Council members and Chelsea Gold Medalists tell us why Chelsea is so important
Look out for Part 2 of our RHS Chelsea Flower Show Centenary special on Tuesday May 21.
Episode 6: RHS Edible Britain campaign, Chef Raymond Blanc discusses GYO veg, plus climbers for scent, fighting Lily Beetle, and wildflowers for containers.
We celebrate Britain in Bloom and the RHS Edible Britain Campaign, which aims to help build more than 2,000 edible gardens in public spaces around the country. How can you get involved? We talk to Edible Britain’s ambassador, chef Raymond Blanc, and get growing advice for beginners.
Seasonal advice by RHS experts includes: - garden pests - fighting Lily Beetle - wildflowers for containers - restricting rampaging bamboo - choosing climbers for scent
Episode 5: Spotlight on RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Grow Your Own tips, rose care and tackling weeds. Plantsman Matthew Biggs takes us on an exclusive tour of RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Essex with garden curator Ian Le Gros, and garden manager Ian Bull gives an insight into Hyde Hall's famous Dry Garden, plus: - Matthew Biggs' Grow Your Own tips for beginner gardeners - What to do in your garden now - Rose care - Controlling weeds - Latest events at all four RHS Gardens
Episode 4: Spring tasks, Grow Your Own and the RHS Advisory Team. Plantsman and author Matthew Biggs gives expert tips on Growing Your Own fruit and vegetables including favourite varieties and foolproof techniques for achieving a great first crop. We'll also be hearing how you and your family can get involved in National Gardening Week, and the RHS Advisory Team answer your gardening questions at the recent RHS Great London Plant Fair in Westminster.
Episode 3: Orchids, spring plants and seasonal advice from the London Plant and Design Show
In this edition, we visit the London Plant and Design Show at the Royal Horticultural Halls in Vincent Square, Westminster, to discover how to get the best out of shows, and just why people love them so much. We also focus on the UK's most popular houseplant - Orchids - and discuss how to grow them successfully, plus: - advice and inspiration on spring plants from expert growers at the London Plant and Design Show - RHS experts tell you what you should be doing in your garden now, including caring for a spring lawn, what to look out for in your greenhouse, and the importance of keeping your tools sharp.
Episode 2: Slugs, Potatoes and Strawberries - behind the scenes at RHS Garden, Wisley. The scientists and expert gardeners at Wisley discuss how to grow the perfect potatoes, delicious strawberries that will fruit in small gardens all summer long, and how slugs can actually be good for your garden! RHS Wisley’s curator reveals unmissable flowers to see on a visit to the garden this March. Plus, easy wildflowers to encourage more birds, bees and butterflies into your plot. Seasonal gardening questions are answered by RHS garden advisors Tony Dickerson, Leigh Hunt and Rebecca Meally with plant disease expert Geoffrey Denton.
Episode 1: Problem Solving from RHS Garden, Wisley in Surrey Seasonal gardening questions are answered by RHS garden advisors Tony Dickerson, Leigh Hunt and Rebecca Mealey and plant disease expert Geoffrey Denton from the RHS pathology lab. Topics discussed include: clematis, climbing roses and vertical vegetables, honey fungus, how to stop trees 'bleeding' after pruning, choosing unusual tomato varieties, growing camellias, and solutions to common daffodil problems. Plus, the lead gardeners from RHS Wisley give advice on jobs to do in garden NOW: foolproof wisteria pruning, propagating summer bedding, sweet peas and meconopsis from seed, and choice and care of summer and autumn fruiting raspberries. Plus, offers for 'early bird' RHS show tickets