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.
May 26, 2016•30 min•Ep. 92
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
May 12, 2016•35 min•Ep. 91
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.
Apr 28, 2016•24 min•Ep. 90
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.
Apr 14, 2016•25 min•Ep. 89
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.
Mar 24, 2016•33 min•Ep. 88
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 ...
Mar 17, 2016•19 min•Ep. 87
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.
Mar 03, 2016•34 min•Ep. 86
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.
Feb 18, 2016•34 min•Ep. 85
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 Gla...
Feb 05, 2016•32 min•Ep. 84
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 colo...
Jan 21, 2016•23 min•Ep. 83
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...
Jan 07, 2016•29 min•Ep. 82
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
Dec 24, 2015•26 min•Ep. 80
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.
Dec 24, 2015•48 min•Ep. 81
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...
Dec 11, 2015•24 min•Ep. 79
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.
Nov 27, 2015•29 min•Ep. 78
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.
Nov 12, 2015•34 min•Ep. 77
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.
Nov 05, 2015•28 min•Ep. 76
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'. D...
Oct 30, 2015•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 75
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.
Oct 29, 2015•26 min•Ep. 74
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.
Oct 15, 2015•21 min•Ep. 73
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....
Oct 01, 2015•34 min•Ep. 72
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
Sep 17, 2015•26 min•Ep. 71
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 ...
Sep 03, 2015•28 min•Ep. 70
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 ...
Aug 20, 2015•25 min•Ep. 69
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.
Aug 06, 2015•28 min•Ep. 68
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.
Jul 23, 2015•30 min•Ep. 67
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 ...
Jul 09, 2015•39 min•Ep. 66
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
Jun 25, 2015•26 min•Ep. 65
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 ...
Jun 11, 2015•34 min•Ep. 64
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...
May 28, 2015•26 min•Ep. 63