This week Tim Fuller of Norfolk nursery The Plantsman's Preference stuns with some inspiring Ivies, plus Primulas, Snowdrops and more! PLANT LIST Salvia nemorosa Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna' Galanthus nivalis 'Alan's Treat' Galanthus 'Mother Goose' Galanthus 'Treasure Island' Galanthus plicatus 'Golden Fleece' Galanthus 'Wandlebury Ring' Galanthus 'Günter Waldorf' Galanthus gracilis Muscari filiforme Arum italicum subsp. italicum 'Marmoratum' Arum italicum subsp. italicum 'Tiny' Arum pictum 'Prim...
Feb 14, 2024•57 min•Season 1Ep. 116
This week Alan Gray (East Ruston Old Vicarage) and Thordis chat to Anya Lautenbach AKA Anya, The Garden Fairy. A passionate propagator, Anya is famous for making her garden from seeds and cuttings, and sharing her propagation tips with her million followers on social media. And now those skills are being captured in her new book 'The Money-Saving Gardener'. From the healing power of gardening to the plant which has her captivated at the moment, this is a feel-good look at the power of plants. PL...
Feb 07, 2024•56 min•Season 1Ep. 115
It's Happy New Year from Alan Gray and Thordis as they continue their series looking at Alan's garden, East Ruston Old Vicarage, month-by-month. From the Camellias lighting up winter to the Ferns catching their fancy and some seasonal FLOMO* *FLOMO = FLoral/plant-based fear Of Missing Out PLANT LIST Haworthia limifolia f. variegata Echeveria peacockii Camellia Forsythia Eucalyptus Woodwardia fimbriata Soleirolia soleirolii (syn. Helxine soleirolii) Viola hederacea Dahlia 'Café au Lait' Dryopteri...
Jan 17, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 115
The latest in our series on the plants at East Ruston Old Vicarage sees Alan share some Show and Tell from his 32-acre garden on the Norfolk coast. And there's more than a little festive flair as he takes in a Christmassy Snowdrop and some top Holly varieties. PLANT LIST Osteospermum Musa basjoo Viburnum tinus Morus alba Morus nigra Trachycarpus fortunei Galanthus 'Santa Claus' Arum pictum 'Primrose Warburg' Nerine 'Miss Frances Clarke' Nerine undulata Galanthus 'Primrose Warburg' Galanthus 'Sou...
Dec 13, 2023•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 115
Time for Part Two of our chat with HORTUS Editor David Wheeler. This week we discuss not only how the quarterly gardening journal started life in 1987, but delve into the world of David's FLOMO* and some of the plants which will be appearing in his garden come spring. *FLOMO = FLoral/plant-based fear Of Missing Out PLANT LIST Lindera Erythronium Iris sibirica Parrotia persica 'Bella' Acer palmatum 'Wild Goose' Acer shirasawanum 'Moonrise' Cornus kousa ‘Schmetterling’ Cornus kousa ‘Heart Throb’ C...
Dec 06, 2023•35 min•Season 1Ep. 114
If you're a fan of this podcast then you won't need telling that HORTUS is a quarterly gardening journal of the utmost quality. Its Editor, David Wheeler, founded the publication in 1987 and next week (in Part Two) we'll get stuck into its creation and what makes it so special. This week we're 'leaf peeping' as David shares varieties he's selected for his new garden at Upland in Camarthenshire, plus heavenly Hydrangeas! PLANT LIST Acer rubrum Acer rubrum 'October Glory' Acer × freemanii 'Jeffers...
Nov 29, 2023•34 min•Season 1Ep. 114
We're well stuck into the darker months now and, if you're looking for some plants to brighten up your plot, look no further than this podcast! In his garden at East Ruston Old Vicarage on the Norfolk coast, Alan Gray has amassed an almost technicolour array of foliage and flower no matter the time of year. From Chrysanthemums to Salvias, Tropaeolums to Nerines, he and Thordis talk through some of the wonders which have been catching his eye in the 32-acre garden this November. PLANT LIST Malus ...
Nov 22, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 114
Episode 113 of Talking Dirty sees Eucomis National Collection holder Richard Clark of Panache Plants join Alan Gray (East Ruston Old Vicarage) and Thordis. In Part One they got slightly sidetracked by the breeding work Richard's been doing with Roscoeas in particular. But this week we explore Eucomis in earnest, plus lots of FLOMO* *FLoral/plant-based fear Of Missing Out PLANT LIST Eucomis bicolor Eucomis schijffii eucomis pallidiflora Eucomis pallidiflora subsp. pole-evansii Galanthus 'Alan Gra...
Nov 15, 2023•35 min•Season 1Ep. 113
This week on Talking Dirty, Alan Gray (East Ruston Old Vicarage) and Thordis catch up with a regular nurseryman on their local plant fair circuit, Richard Clark of Panache Plants. Richard holds the National Collection of Eucomis and we'll have more about the Pineapple Lily next week. But he's also got a background in plant breeding and has been using his expertise to select some very interesting new plants! PLANT LIST Roscoea purpurea Roscoea 'Red Gurkha' Abutilon 'Ashford Red' Abutilon 'Pink Ch...
Nov 08, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 113
This week on Talking Dirty, Alan Gray (East Ruston Old Vicarage) and Thordis are taking inspiration from their most recent episode, where they touched upon the Eucomis National Collection. This week the collection holder, Richard Clark of Panache Plants, joins them. But before the trio can discuss the Pineapple Lily, they get stuck into Richard's plant breeding past and the progress he's been making with Roscoeas in particular. Part Two - discussing Eucomis - next week. PLANT LIST Roscoea purpur...
Nov 08, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 113
As the nights draw in and the days get colder, our gardens can seem a little drab. So Alan Gray is here to share his top plants at East Ruston Old Vicarage this October, many of them specimens he's been propagating. Get ready for plenty of plant inspiration and serious FLOMO*. *FLoral/plant-based fear Of Missing Out PLANT LIST Hardenbergia violacea Dahlia 'Sam Hopkins' Ricinus communis Eucomis pallidiflora subsp. pole-evansii Ricinus 'Blue Buddha' Ricinus communis 'Carmencita' 'Persicaria orient...
Oct 18, 2023•57 min•Season 1Ep. 113
Time for Part Two of our latest apperance by Talking Dirty favourite Dan Cooper AKA The Furstrated Gardener. This week he continues with some of the plants adding colour to his shady containers, from Coleus to Oxalis. Plus a few special Christmas decorations from Dan Cooper Garden! PLANT LIST Oxalis 'Plum Crazy' Oxalis spiralis vulcanicola 'Sunset Velvet' Coleus 'Lord Falmouth' Coleus 'Burgundy Wedding Train' Solenostemon scutellarioides 'Wisley Tapestry' Dahlia 'Edith Jones' Dahlia 'Dilys Aylin...
Oct 11, 2023•51 min•Season 1Ep. 112
This week Talking Dirty favourite Dan Cooper returns to the podcast with some of the top performers in his garden this year, including some great choices for shade and container planting. PLANT LIST Dahlia 'Ryecroft Blackberry' Dahlia 'Night Silence' Dahlia 'Sam Hopkins' Dahlia 'Christopher Taylor' Persicaria 'Painter's Palette' Boehmeria sieboldiana Boehmeria macrophylla var. rotundifolia Canna x ehemanii (syn iridiflora) Pilea matsudae 'Taiwan Silver' Begonia palmata 'Tye Dye' Begonia 'Benitoc...
Oct 04, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 112
This week Steve Edney returns with a special treat - a tour of the jungle garden he's created with fellow plant lover, Louise Dowle. Their plot is packed with inspiration and some very special plants! PLANT LIST Clerodendrum trichotomum Eucalyptus pauciflora Betula utilis var. jacquemontii Pseudosasa japonica Euphorbia stygiana Griselinia littoralis Begonia luxurians Euphorbia x pasteurii Euphorbia x pasteuri 'John Phillips' Euphorbia mellifera Plectranthus fruticosus 'Ellaphie' Pseudopanax cras...
Sep 27, 2023•44 min•Season 1Ep. 111
In part one of our latest podcast with Steve Edney of No Name Nursery, we get a glimpse of some recent purchases. Plus great foliage plants, and one of many Cannas he's grown from seed this year. Next week, we take a stroll around his garden at home for jungle inspiration! PLANT LIST Chlorophytum saundersiae 'Starlight' Dahlia 'Jomanda' Dahlia 'Sam Hopkins' Canna 'Whithelm Pride' Aster × frikartii 'Mönch' Aster x frikartii 'Wunder von Stäfa' Aster amellus 'Forncett Flourish' Cuphea 'David Verity...
Sep 20, 2023•40 min•Season 1Ep. 111
If you're keenly pouring over seed catalogues and dreaming of what you're going to grow, Alan Gray (East Ruston Old VIcarage) and Thordis share their thoughts on what to sow now and why in this Talking Dirty Special. PLANT LIST Papaver rhoeas 'Amazing Grey' Papaver rhoeas 'Shirley Poppy' Eschscholzia californica Briza maxima Ammi majus Visnaga daucoides syn. Ammi visnaga Hordeum jubatum Nigella papillosa 'Delft Blue' Scabiosa stellata Agrostemma githago Borago officinalis Tropaeolum majus 'Hermi...
Sep 13, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 111
This week Jimi Blake of Hunting Brook Gardens returns with more summer sensations from his plot, including Agastaches and Lilies. Plus reminiscences from his recent adventures in Romania. PLANT LIST Phymosia umbellata Agastache 'Fleur' Agastache 'Kolibri' Melianthus major Lobelia × speciosa 'Hadspen Purple' Agave montana Hydrangea aspera 'Koki' Hydrangea aspera 'Hot Chocolate' Lilium 'Scheherazade' Lilium 'Miss Feya' Lilium 'Chocolate Event' Lilium 'Red Velvet' Lilium leichtlinii Lilium 'Red Des...
Sep 06, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 110
The Talking Dirty Podcast returns and with it one of our favourite guests. Jimi Blake of Hunting Brook Gardens brings some dazzling Show and Tell from his gorgeous Irish plot and we start wiht a focus on Dahlias and Salvias. Next week further floral wonders from his garden. PLANT LIST Salvia greggii 'Royal Bumble' Dahlia 'Cornel Brons' Dahlia 'Sylvia' Dahlia 'Danique' Dahlia 'Copperboy' Dahlia 'Ambition' Dahlia 'Purple Flame' Dahlia 'Burlesca' Dahlia 'Downham Royal' Dahlia 'Cornwall Island' Dahl...
Aug 30, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 110
Talking Dirty may be taking a break for Maternity Leave, but Alan Gray (East Ruston Old Vicarage) and Thordis couldn't resist having a planty catch-up! Before regular podcasting resumes, the pair chat about the horticultural glories at EROV this year and what Thordis has managed to grow alongside her forays into Motherhood! Weekly episodes hopefully resuming in due course... PLANT LIST Agave montana Nolina Puya Bigelowia nuttallii Ipheion Eremurus Kniphofia Agapanthus Papaver somniferum Atriplex...
Aug 02, 2023•44 min•Season 1Ep. 110
This week something different for our Talking Dirty Podcast as Alan Gray shares exciting news about East Ruston Old Vicarage. To help tell the story Alan and Thordis are joined by 'horticultural greats' Barbara Segall (Award-winning Garden Writer) and Paul Rochford (Joseph Rochford Gardens). And while this week's podcast is about the garden rather than specific plants, we couldn't resist sneaking a few in... PLANT LIST Quercus ilex London Plane (Platanus x hispanica) Agave montana Osteospermum S...
Apr 21, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 109
If growing your own and living off the land are passions and aspirations, then this week's Talking Dirty Podcast is especially for you. Homesteader Liz Zorab joins Alan Gray (East Ruston Old VIcarage) and Thordis from her four-acre plot in Wales to share some of her favourite varieties plus ground-breaking methods like her Food Forest. Plus find out why Thordis and Liz are FLOMO*-ing over the same plant! *FLOMO = FLoral/plant-based fear Of Missing Out PLANT LIST Leycesteria formosa Calendula Par...
Apr 12, 2023•57 min•Season 1Ep. 109
East Ruston Old Vicarage - home to Get Gardening's Founding Father Alan Gray - is back open for 2023 and celebrating a very special year! As the garden marks its Golden Anniversary, Alan and Thordis talk about plants of the moment, plus propagation tips and FLOMO*! *FLoral/plant-based fear Of Missing Out PLANT LIST Pelargonium 'Lord Bute' Pelargonium 'Purple Unique' Pelargonium papilionaceum Pelargonium 'Babylon' Rosa 'Colombian Climber' Narcissus 'Candlepower' Narcissus 'Rip van Winkle' Eranthi...
Apr 05, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 108
As the garden at East Ruston Old Vicarage reopens for 2023, Alan Gray and Thordis sit down for a chat about how the garden is evolving in its 50th year, plus plants of the moment, from Magnolias to Violets and some top propagation tips from Alan's potting shed. Next week Daffodils, Pelargoniums and lots of FLOMO*! *FLoral/plant-based fear Of Missing Out PLANT LIST Magnolia 'Caerhays Belle' Magnolia 'Genie' Clematis florida 'Sieboldii' Cyclamen hederifolium 'Silverme Pink' Anagallis monellii 'Sky...
Mar 29, 2023•37 min•Season 1Ep. 108
Last week Tim Fuller of Norfolk nursery The Plantsman's Preference wowed Alan Gray (East Ruston Old Vicarage) and Thordis with Ferns, Ivy and wonderful winter foliage. This week - in part two - we turn our attention to flowers, from bulbs to shrubs, most of them amazingly scented. PLANT LIST Sarcococca confusa Sarcococca ruscifolia Sarcococca saligna Sarcococca hookeriana 'Winter Gem' Lonicera standishii 'Budapest' Tellima grandiflora Lonicera × purpusii 'Winter Beauty' Anemone flaccida Corydali...
Mar 22, 2023•40 min•Season 1Ep. 107
If you're in the market for interesting plants to bring greenery to your garden in winter then look no further than Tim Fuller's latest appearance on Talking Dirty. The South Norfolk-based Nurseryman (The Plantsman's Preference) brings along an amazing array of Ivy, Ferns, Cyclamen and Arums to form a foil to your winter and spring flowers. Next week he's got more of a floral focus in part two and lots of scent to tempt your olfactory senses! PLANT LIST Pittosporum 'Irene Paterson' Linnaea chine...
Mar 15, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 107
There are few houses that aren't home to an Orchid. But with 28,000 species, distributed in about 763 genera, the world of Orchidaceae goes far beyond Phalaenopsis and Cymbidium. This week we're joined by Cambridge University Botanic Garden Glasshouse Team Leader Luigi Leoni, and Orchid expert Phil Gould, to see some of the plants wowing the crowds at the moment and share amazing stories behind them. Plus their FLOMO*s for not only the Botanic Garden, but private collections at home. FLOMO = FLo...
Mar 08, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 106
This week Talking Dirty is 'Grasping the Nettle' as Tamsin Westhorpe returns to talk about her new book. Tamsin, who gardens at family plot Stockton Bury in Herefordshire has spent her life caught up professionally and personally in horticulture in almost every way imaginable - from working in Parks and Gardens, to Magazine Editor and everything in between. Alan Gray (East Ruston Old Vicarage) and Thordis giggle their way through her riotous stories and indulge in good old planty chat as usual. ...
Mar 01, 2023•56 min•Season 1Ep. 105
After last week's Snowdrop extravaganza, in part two of his Talking Dirty appearance, Brian Ellis is wowing Alan Gray (East Ruston Old Vicarage) and Thordis with a whole host of Winter Garden plants...ideal bedfellows for this extensive Snowdrop collection. From Arums to Eranthis, Hellebores to Hamamelis and Heuchera, there is SO much inspiration for your garden! Our thanks to Dorset Perennials for allowing us the use of their picture of Brian's FLOMO plant. You can find it on their website here...
Feb 22, 2023•47 min•Season 1Ep. 104
It's peak Snowdrop Season and here on Talking Dirty it looks like we've all caught the fever! Alan Gray has quite the collection at East Ruston Old Vicarage, while Thordis is enjoying her first forays into growing these delightful plants in her small suburban garden. So this week Galanthophile Brian Ellis is back on Talking Dirty to share some interesting varieties and the stories behind them. And next week he'll share great companion plants in the border, from Eranthis to Corydalis, Hamamelis t...
Feb 15, 2023•38 min•Season 1Ep. 104
This week we're heading to the allotment as Rekha Mistry (author, Instagram star and Gardeners' World presenter) joins Alan Gray (East Ruston Old Vicarage) and Thordis to talk about her new book 'Rekha's Kitchen Garden'. Whether you've caught the Grow Your Own bug or not, Rekha is such a joy, as she shares the lessons she's learned and the varieties she loves to grow (plus the tasty dishes she creates with them!) PLANT LIST Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) Calendula Tagetes patula Borago officinalis K...
Feb 08, 2023•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 103
