Tales From The Potting Bench

❓Have you ever thought about what its like to be a live in, head gardener?Welcome to Tales From The Potting Bench, your go-to podcast for all things green and growing! This is where, you'll hear fascinating stories from plant lovers, experts, and passionate growers who are just as obsessed with plants as you and I.In this week's episode I've got someone who you're going to love! I've spoken to a few head gardeners in the past but theres always room for one more, and my guest this week isn't actually a head gardener any more… Andy Wain is a former head gardener on a private estate and in this episode we open up that world and discuss exactly what its like, especially as a gardener that also lives on the estate too! Enjoy!If you'd like to see more from Andy then you can follow him on Instagram where you'll find him as @_andy__w If you'd like to see Andy's YouTube channel then you can find him on there as The Fully Charged GardenerAs the season goes on, you'll be thinking more and more about feeding your plants. But make sure not to leave out Until next week, do have a look at my blog and website, below!✍️ Read My Blog and More: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

❓Would you like to understand the world of medical herbalism?Welcome to Tales From The Potting Bench, your go-to podcast for all things green and growing! This is where, you'll hear fascinating stories from plant lovers, experts, and passionate growers who are just as obsessed with plants as you and I.This week's episode features another first as we explore the world of medicinal herbalism! Lydia Mantella, otherwise known on Instagram as @yourorganiclydia, is a medicinal herbalist, smallholder and trained personal trainer – growing her own food, herbs and more. In this conversation we delve into how Lydia lived a city life and eventually knew that it wasn't the life for her before settling down to a country lifestyle instead. Join us as we explore medicinal herbalism, what that actually means, and so much more! Enjoy!If this has got you thinking about your plants then why not give them a good feed with Westland's Organic Seaweed Plant Growth stimulant? This feed is designed and formulated to be the perfect mix to use around your whole garden, specifically giving your plants what they need to growth strong and healthy roots! Not only that but your plants will also benefit from increased strength against disease too! Using Organic Seaweed Plant Growth Stimulant ensures an abundance of stronger, healthier, veg, fruit and flowers!Make sure to check out gardenhealth.com now, for more.Until next week, do have a look at my blog and website, below!✍️ Read My Blog and More: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

❓Does your garden help you with your wellbeing?Welcome to Tales From The Potting Bench, your go-to podcast for all things green and growing! This is where, you'll hear fascinating stories from plant lovers, experts, and passionate growers who are just as obsessed with plants as you and I.Now, this week's episode is a real first for the podcast as I'm joined by not one, but two special guests! Gardening helps to bond us with other likeminded people and form friendships and connections too. Two people that I love talking to on Instagram are Georgina, otherwise known as @plot_bae and Tori who you'll find as @torisallotment. Both are avid food growers and both add ideas for how growing can help your mental health too. In this feature length episode we discuss why we love growing and how it helps us navigate daily life. Enjoy!If you'd like to give your plants the very best chance of blooming and growing to the best of their ability then give them some oomph with Boost All Purpose Multi-Action Granules, new for 2025! These granules support your plants at every single stage of their growth and provide up to 6 months of slow release feed, resulting in even stronger roots, greener foliage, healthier plants and you guessed it, more blooms! Simply mix them into your Boost All Purpose Compost when planting up, and continue with regular feeding using Boost All Purpose Liquid Plant feed to give your plants the ultimate boost all round!Make sure to check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gardenhealth.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ now, for more.Until next week, do have a look at my blog and website, below!✍️ Read My Blog and More: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

❓Does your garden have interest all year round?Welcome to Tales From The Potting Bench, your go-to podcast for all things green and growing! This is where, you'll hear fascinating stories from plant lovers, experts, and passionate growers who are just as obsessed with plants as you and I.This week's guest is a real plantsman and someone who I know you're going to thoroughly enjoy listening to! Jordan Weston, otherwise known as The Bearded Botanist on Instagram is a florist, plant fanatic and now, nursery owner who is completely obsessed with plants. At the recent BBC Gardener's World Spring Fair, we had the pleasure of sharing a stage and after the show, I knew we had to record a podcast episode for you all, so here it is! We discuss the nursery, plants to keep interest in your garden all year round, and so much more. Enjoy!If you'd like to see more from Jordan then you can find him over on Instagram as @the_bearded_botanist. You can also find Jordan's nursery on Instagram too @westonsnurseryIf all this talk of evergreen plants has got you thinking about your own then why not give them a good feed with Westland's Organic Seaweed Plant Growth stimulant? This feed is designed and formulated to be the perfect mix to use around your whole garden, specifically giving your plants what they need to growth strong and healthy roots! Not only that but your plants will also benefit from increased strength against disease too! Using Organic Seaweed Plant Growth Stimulant ensures an abundance of stronger, healthier, veg, fruit and flowers!Make sure to check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gardenhealth.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ now, for more.Until next week, do have a look at my blog and website, below!✍️ Read My Blog and More: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

❓Do you grow what you love or what you *think* you should grow...?Welcome to Tales From The Potting Bench, your go-to podcast for all things green and growing! This is where, you'll hear fascinating stories from plant lovers, experts, and passionate growers who are just as obsessed with plants as you and I.This week's guest is one of the most passionate vegetable growers that I have the pleasure of knowing and luckily he's happy to share that passion with us all. Rob Smith, otherwise known online as @robsallotment is a veg grower and garden writer, who takes real pleasure with sharing tips and advice on how to grow not only the best veg, but also unique varieties too! Enjoy!If you'd like to see more from Rob then you can find him over on Instagram as @robsallotment. Rob's book ‘Grow To Eat' is available in all good book shops now and via this linkIf listening to Rob talking about growing your own fruit and veg and has got you think about growing your own, then be sure to use Westland's Big Tom Super Tomato Food on your tomatoes.2Big Tom simply gives you 3 x more tomatoes vs unfed plants! As well as this you'll get tastier tomatoes, all season long. Their Big Tom Tomato Food has the unique PlantSense™ Technology. This means there is just the right amount of nutrients, and a water management system perfected to work with peat free growbags and planters. Including iron and magnesium to give you greener plants, it is also rich in seaweed for healthy root growth giving you great tasting tomatoes. Try it now, available in all good garden centres across the UK.Make sure to check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠gardenhealth.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ now, for more.Until next week, do have a look at my blog and website, below!✍️ Read My Blog and More: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

❓Do you follow Anya on social media?Welcome to Tales From The Potting Bench, your go-to podcast for all things green and growing! This is where, you'll hear fascinating stories from plant lovers, experts, and passionate growers who are just as obsessed with plants as you and I.This week's guest is someone I've wanted on for a very long time and thankfully we've been able to make it finally happen. Anya Lautenbach, otherwise known online as Anya the Garden Fairy has been inspiring people online to garden, for years and is now the author of two wildly successful accompanying books. In this episode we discuss Anya's upbringing in Poland, how gardening has helped her through the darkest times and just why gardening is the thing that brings us all together. Enjoy!If you'd like to see more from Anya then you can find her across all social media platforms by searching for Anya The Garden Fairy.Anya's latest book The Money Saving Garden Year, is out now from DK and is available from all good booksellers and via this link.If you'd like to give your plants the very best chance of blooming and growing to the best of their ability then give them some oomph with Boost All Purpose Multi-Action Granules, new for 2025! These granules support your plants at every single stage of their growth and provide up to 6 months of slow-release feed, resulting in even stronger roots, greener foliage, healthier plants and you guessed it, more blooms! Simply mix them into your Boost All Purpose Compost when planting up, and continue with regular feeding using Boost All Purpose Liquid Plant feed to give your plants the ultimate boost all round!Make sure to check out ⁠⁠⁠gardenhealth.com⁠⁠⁠ now, for more.Until next week, do have a look at my blog and website, below!✍️ Read My Blog and More: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The podcast is back and with a bang!!

Hello, and welcome to Tales From The Potting Bench, a planty podcast where you'll hear all manner of stories from knowledgeable, passionate and invaluable people who love plants as much as you and I. We're here at the monumental 7th season of the podcast and thanks to you, the listeners, we're back with even more guests and this season promises to be even bigger, even better and with even more planty goodness! This season I'm focussing on those people who really know what they're talking about in a series of episodes I'm calling 'Experts In Their Field'. Along with a brand-new season, is a brand-new sponsor, and I'm thrilled to share that I'm joined for season 7 by the powerhouse of the plant world, Westland Horticulture. Westland are dedicated to empowering everyone with the skills, knowledge, and tools to help every gardener give it their best, season after season. Great gardening starts with great compost, and Westland has a trusted range of composts for your every gardening need, from giving your baskets and containers the best start in life filling your vegetable patch with nutrients ahead of a bountiful season. Our gardens are all wildly different, from small spaces full to the brim with flowers and edibles, to sprawling acres with lakes and meadows and balconies, courtyards or even just a few pots. But, no matter the size, shape or contents, our gardens all give us such physical and mental benefits in equal measure, and my guest this week is all too aware of the magical properties a garden can hold. Leigh Johnstone, perhaps better known as The Beardy Gardener, is indeed a gardener, but hes also a mental health advocate and now an award winning garden designer too. For the last few years, Leigh has shared the highs and the lows on his popular social media channels and his posts present a refreshing account of all sides of our daily lives, the good, the bad, the rough and the smooth. In this episode, we discuss how The Beardy Gardener came to be and exactly why his garden is his safe space. Enjoy! If you'd like to see more of Leigh's and the adventures of beardy himself, then you can follow him on Instagram where you'll find him as @beardygardener. Leigh is also a regular speaker at garden shows up and down the country so do seek out his website beardygardener.com, for where you may be able to see him next. Also, why not boost your garden, as well as your mood with Westland's Boost, All Purpose Liquid Plant Feed. You can achieve four times more blooms, giving you an even more stunning floral display and an abundance of healthy fruit and veg too. Using its unique Plantsense™ technology, Boost will feed all ornamental and ericaceous plants, plus all fruit and vegetables and give you incredible results. ✍️ Read My Latest Blog: Click Here

Hello, and welcome to Tales From The Potting Bench, a planty podcast where you'll hear all manner of stories from knowledgeable, passionate and invaluable people who love plants as much as you and I. We're here at the monumental 7th season of the podcast and thanks to you, the listeners, we're back with even more guests and this season promises to be even bigger, even better and with even more planty goodness! This season I'm focussing on those people who really know what they're talking about in a series of episodes I'm calling 'Experts In Their Field'. Along with a brand-new season, is a brand-new sponsor, and I'm thrilled to share that I'm joined for season 7 by the powerhouse of the plant world, Westland Horticulture. Westland are dedicated to empowering everyone with the skills, knowledge, and tools to help every gardener give it their best, season after season. Great gardening starts with great compost, and Westland has a trusted range of composts for your every gardening need, from giving your baskets and containers the best start in life filling your vegetable patch with nutrients ahead of a bountiful season. In the first episode of this new season, I wanted to invite someone that I've known for a while now, through social media and someone who is going to absolutely help you grow the best tomatoes you've ever grown in your life. I've dabbled, sometimes good, and sometimes bad, but one thing is for sure, home-grown tomatoes are far superior to any you'll eat from a shop and Niall Radford has become a master at the art of the perfect tom! From a simple beginning with one particular unique variety, more on that later, to now growing over 150 tomato plants of his own this year – it's fair to say that Niall knows what he's talking about and in this episode he shares his exact method for growing, including when to sow, how to sow, and what to do next! This is one you're going to want to listen to, and maybe even make a few notes on too. Enjoy! If you'd like to see more of Niall's interesting toms, including his growing setup and much more, then do follow him on Instagram where you'll find him as @niallradford. As mentioned in the conversation, Niall also sells seeds of the best tomatoes available, directly from his own fruits, and you'll find all the details of that at nrtomatoseed.com

Hello and welcome back to a brand-new season - we're back for a whopping sixth season of the podcast with new guests and brand-new stories and conversations and this time I'm using this as my chance to celebrate the amazing women of horticulture with a season I'm calling 'A Celebration of Women in Plants'! Throughout this season we've featured all sorts of women from all sorts of plant backgrounds and in this final episode of the season we're going into the world of TV! As long as I can remember, there has been gardening on the TV and as a little nipper I remember seeing segments on daytime shows with plants and garden tips. One person who shares their expertise and passion for gardening on one such show is Daisy Payne, gardening expert from ITV's This Morning, my guest for this episode. Daisy is a presenter, gardener and now author, with her first book being JUST published. In this episode we discuss the book, This Morning and much more, enjoy! You can find out more about Daisy, by following her on Instagram where you'll her as @gardentogarnish. Daisy's new book ‘Start Growing' is out now from ebury press and is available in all good bookshops!

Hello and welcome back to a brand-new season - we're back for a whopping sixth season of the podcast with new guests and brand-new stories and conversations and this time I'm using this as my chance to celebrate the amazing women of horticulture with a season I'm calling 'A Celebration of Women in Plants'! Gardening to lots of us – is a dream, something we spend hours doing, and in the process we've all taught ourselves so much. But, cast your mind back to when you first started gardening, did you know what to do and how to do it? I certainly didn't and at first, I had no idea at all. In this episode I'm talking to landscape architect and co-founder of the new gardening app, Hota – Hannah Shaw. Hota aims to help gardeners, new and old alike, with creating new beds and borders in their gardens, with plant suggestions, design tips and maintenance advice right across the year. This app is about to change the way lots of us might garden, and I was interested to hear more about it, and I hope you are too. You can find out more about Hota, by following them on Instagram where you'll find them as @hota_app. You can download Hota now on the Apple App Store for iPhone and other versions are in the planning stages too!

Hello and welcome back to a brand-new season - we're back for a whopping sixth season of the podcast with new guests and brand-new stories and conversations and this time I'm using this as my chance to celebrate the amazing women of horticulture with a season I'm calling 'A Celebration of Women in Plants'! Through social media, I've found a number of people that have since gone on to be incredible friends of mine, and my guest this week is one of those people. Kelly-Jane Leach, is a gardener, trained horticulturalist, writer, designer and influencer, and is perhaps better known by her online moniker, Dirty Garden Hoe. Kelly's day to day focusses on the work she does with the trial garden at Which Magazine, which you can see her sharing through her social channels. In this episode we talk about all of that, and the kinship we've found through gardening, and so much more, enjoy! You can find out more from Kelly through Instagram and Twitter where you'll find her sharing her work and her gardening adventures!

Hello and welcome back to a brand-new season - we're back for a whopping sixth season of the podcast with new guests and brand-new stories and conversations and this time I'm using this as my chance to celebrate the amazing women of horticulture with a season I'm calling 'A Celebration of Women in Plants'! Often, within gardening – we're surrounded by so much knowledge that it's tough to know where to start! For me, when I found my love of gardening there was one place that informed me perhaps more than anywhere else and that was BBC Radio 4's Gardener's Question Time. In this week's episode I'm joined by the longest serving member of the panel, writer and houseplant expert Anne Swithinbank. Anne has been on GQT for over 30 years now, and she's enjoyed every second of her time so we've got plenty to talk about here. Anne shares her tales of GQT, how our attitudes to gardening have changed over time and much more. You can find out more from Anne by following her on Instagram and Twitter or X where you'll find her on both as @anneswithinbank.

Hello and welcome back to a brand-new season - we're back for a whopping sixth season of the podcast with new guests and brand-new stories and conversations and this time I'm using this as my chance to celebrate the amazing women of horticulture with a season I'm calling 'A Celebration of Women in Plants'! Have you ever watched Love Your Garden and wondered whether they actually do it in the time they say they do? Or, have you ever thought whether the neighbours want to get involved? Well in this week's episode we answer those exact questions as I talk with presenter, designer and garden consultant, Katie Rushworth. In this episode we also talk about what garden trends Katie thinks we could still see happen this year and so much more, enjoy! You can find out more from Katie by following her on Instagram where you'll find her as @katie_gardens. Katie's website, katierushworth.com is where you can find out about the rest of Katie's garden work and how you can book your own consultation. The Cottage Herbery that Katie mentioned in this episode has sadly now closed its doors, but they are still active on Instagram where you'll be able to find them as @thecottageherbery

Hello and welcome back to a brand-new season - we're back for a whopping sixth season of the podcast with new guests and brand-new stories and conversations and this time I'm using this as my chance to celebrate the amazing women of horticulture with a season I'm calling 'A Celebration of Women in Plants'! Sustainability and resilience are two words we often hear, but what do they really mean, and why should we be thinking about how to be more of both? Kim Stoddart is an author and resiliency warrior, not to mention that she's also the editor of Amateur Gardening Magazine and in this episode we discuss all of that and just why she had to follow up her first book with another, focussing on how to grow the perfect vegetables n a changing climate and world, enjoy!

Hello and welcome back to a brand-new season - we're back for a whopping sixth season of the podcast with new guests and brand-new stories and conversations and this time I'm using this as my chance to celebrate the amazing women of horticulture with a season I'm calling 'A Celebration of Women in Plants'! So many of us grow so many wonderful flowers in our gardens and on our allotments, and if you're anything like me then you'll cut a great deal to bring indoors. But, there is a difference between simply cutting and plonking (like I do!) and artistically arranging them into eye catching and beautiful displays with the skill that only a florist can have. Alice Hare is a luxury event florist extraordinaire and not only that, she can also boast being a florist for none other than ITV's This Morning too. Join me and Alice as we talk about our favourite blooms, why it was floristry that called her and much more, enjoy! You can find out more from Alice by following her on Instagram where you'll find her as @alicehareflorist. You may also see her popping up on ITV's This Morning from time to time too, so keep your eyes peeled!

Hello and welcome back to a brand-new season - we're back for a whopping sixth season of the podcast with new guests and brand-new stories and conversations and this time I'm using this as my chance to celebrate the amazing women of horticulture with a season I'm calling 'A Celebration of Women in Plants'! Have you ever dreamt of growing your own cut flowers to fill your house with colour and scent? Well, my guest this week will teach you exactly how to do that for yourself and it couldn't be easier. Sophie Van Gerwen, otherwise known online as @floraldaysintheshires. Is a cut flower fanatic, who is desperate to share her love of cut flowers with you and help you have a garden to die for. Enjoy! You can find out more from Sophie by following her on Instagram where you'll find on both as @floraldaysintheshires. Make sure to also check out her website www.sowsandgrows.co.uk to shop the seed collection and book your place on the next course

Hello and welcome back to a brand-new season - we're back for a whopping sixth season of the podcast with new guests and brand-new stories and conversations and this time I'm using this as my chance to celebrate the amazing women of horticulture with a season I'm calling 'A Celebration of Women in Plants'! Throughout this season I've spoken to and will speak to many people who started their working life, without even a thought given to plants from the start. However, they have found gardening and the joy of plants slightly later in life and as a secondary career and my guest this week did exactly that. Lucy Hutchings, otherwise known as She Grows Veg on social media is known both for her beautiful Instagram page and also now, her heritage seed company. In this episode, we discuss how Lucy and Monty aren't all that dissimilar, why she loves veg so much and much more. We also do a bit of a deep dive into social media too which lots of you will find quite interesting too. Enjoy! You can find out more from Lucy by following her on Instagram where you'll find her as @shegrowsveg. You can find out more about Lucy's seed company, and perhaps get yourself a couple of packets from shegrowsveg.com

Hello and welcome back to a brand-new season - we're back for a whopping sixth season of the podcast with new guests and brand-new stories and conversations and this time I'm using this as my chance to celebrate the amazing women of horticulture with a season I'm calling 'A Celebration of Women in Plants'! What happens when you just know that gardening is your future? Well, you find yourself a job working for our future king of course! And that's essentially what happened to my guest this week! Nicola Hope started her life in gardening by working at Highgrove, the then home of Princes Charles. From the age of 15 she worked there, on and off during school holidays and since then has gone on to work in other high profile gardens and has developed a huge passion for organic gardening in particular. In our conversation we discuss Highgrove, working for the singer Sting and much more, enjoy! You can find out more from Nicola by following her on Instagram where you'll find as @nicolahopegardener. Nicola also delivers talks up and down the country on a wide range of subjects and find out more about that and more on her website nicolahope.com

Hello and welcome back to a brand-new season - we're back for a whopping sixth season of the podcast with new guests and brand-new stories and conversations and this time I'm using this as my chance to celebrate the amazing women of horticulture with a season I'm calling 'A Celebration of Women in Plants'! Gardener's World continually inspires and entertains us in equal measure, but I find myself hooked, in particular, to the segments that delve into the history of gardens and gardening over the years. Advolly Richmond is a historian who specialises in this exact area, and she can frequently be seen on Gardener's World, bringing us the past, present and future of gardening. Now, Advolly brings us a book that shares the history of plant names, their origins and so much more. In this episode we discuss the book and a great deal else too, enjoy! You can find out more from Advolly by following her on Instagram and Twitter. A Short History of Flowers is out now from Frances Lincoln and is available in all good bookshops.

Hello and welcome back to a brand-new season - we're back for a whopping sixth season of the podcast with new guests and brand-new stories and conversations and this time I'm using this as my chance to celebrate the amazing women of horticulture with a season I'm calling 'A Celebration of Women in Plants'! Sometimes we gain inspiration from the gardens around us, from the books we read, and also from the television we watch. We're lucky to have so many wonderful gardening television programmes now, and one such show is the sensational Garden Rescue. Rosie Irving is one of the producers on that programme and in this episode today, we discuss all the behind the scenes goings-on with what it takes to make the show. Rosie is also a complete font of knowledge when it comes to plants in general, so this is an episode you won't want to miss, enjoy! You can find out more from Rosie by following her on Instagram @rosieposieirving and if you'd like to check out one of the TOD tours (which I'd highly recommend from personal experience) then be sure to look at michaelmarriottrosarian.org for all the details of this year's upcoming dates.

Hello and welcome back to a brand-new season - we're back for a whopping sixth season of the podcast with new guests and brand-new stories and conversations and this time I'm using this as my chance to celebrate the amazing women of horticulture with a season I'm calling 'A Celebration of Women in Plants'! We're onto episode three, and this episode's guest is someone who is known for her design prowess as much as she is for her sometimes strong opinions online about topics such as 'plastic grass'. Charlotte Howard, and her work, have also lead to her becoming one of Hort Week's 100 most influential women in horticulture! She is certainly an interesting person, and this was a conversation that will give you a lot to think about...enjoy! You can find out more about Charlotte, by following her on X/Twitter or on Instagram, and you can also look at her website too, which is capabilitycharlotte.com

Hello and welcome back to a brand new season - we're back for a whopping sixth season of the podcast with new guests and brand new stories and conversations and this time I'm using this as my chance to celebrate the amazing women of horticulture with a season I'm calling 'A Celebration of Women in Plants'! We're onto episode two and this episode's guest is another person I've wanted to talk to since the very beginning and thankfully we've made it happen for this season. Pests and diseases are te plight of many a gardener and often cause us to give up on certain plants all together. My guest this week has made it her mission to know everything there is to know on the topic and help others know it too. Pippa Greenwood is known to many from her many years on BBC's Gardener's World and also for her 30+ years on BBC Radio 4's 'Gardener's Question Time' too. We discuss her career and just what it is about pests that had her hooked from the start - along with many tips for helping with slugs, fungus gnats and much more! You can find out more about Pippa, as well as her Grow Your Own range by visiting pippagreenwood.com

Jekka McVicar - Queen of Herbs! Hello and welcome back to a brand new season - we're back for a whopping sixth season of the podcast with new guests and brand new stories and conversations and this time I'm using this as my chance to celebrate the amazing women of horticulture with a season I'm calling 'A Celebration of Women in Plants'! Now we're kicking this season off with a huge guest and someone I've wanted to talk to since the podcast first began. This week I'm joined by herb fanatic and who I'd like to dub, the Queen Of Herbs - Jekka McVicar. Jekka is an absolute treasure trove of information when it comes to sowing, growing, propagating and cultivating herbs of an almost endless number of varieties. In this episode we discuss it all, and we talk about Jekka's excellent new book. Jekka's new book '100 Herbs To Grow is out on 7th March and you can order it by clicking here. Don't forget, you can find Jekka on Instagram @⁠jekkamcvicar for all of that Herby goodness!

Keith Weed - President of the RHS Hello and welcome! Well, here we are at the last episode of season 5 of the podcast and I thought we'd go out with a bit of a bang! In this week's episode I'm joined by someone with the most apt name possible for the role that they undertake. You'll no doubt be familiar with the Royal Horticultural Society, the work they do and the gardens that they keep and this week I'm talking to their President, Keith Weed. Keith talks to me about his passion for horticulture, his own personal garden and all of his other many exciting interests. And, he might just reveal his favourite RHS garden, although that is a little like choosing your favourite child! If you'd like to find out more about the RHS then you can visit rhs.org.uk. And don't forget, you can follow along with Keith on social media where you'll find him on Instagram @keithweed and also on Twitter/X where he's also as @keithweed. Gosh, so we've arrived at the end of another monumental season of the podcast, with wonderful guests, conversations and insights into the minds and thoughts of some of gardening's most well known and lesser well known characters and faces. Over 5 seasons we've delved deep into their inspirations for what they do, no matter their role. Designers, gardeners, writers, presenters, social media sensations, houseplant aficionados and more – all with a common passion for one thing, plants. I'm thrilled to say that plans are already afoot for season 6 and I'll be back in the new year with that and much more. As always, thank you for listening, subscribing, reviewing and supporting this podcast and helping it become a chart topping success. Without you, the listeners, this is nothing – and thankfully, because of you – this is very much something.

Faye Whitley - To BEE or not to BEE?! Hello and welcome back to a brand new season - we're back for a whopping fifth season of the podcast with new guests and brand new stories and conversations with some people you will definitely know, and some people you'll come to know In this week's episode, I'm in conversation with someone who is passionate about bees, so much so that she helped to create a kit for us all to use to save bees every day. Faye Whitley is the co-founder of a company called Beevive, who you've likely seen on social media, online and in shops all around the U.K. The Beevive kit, in its essence, is simple – but the story leading up to its creation is one that comes from genuine intrigue in bees and how they all fit into the bigger picture. Listen now to hear more from Faye and all about Beevive. Enjoy! If you'd like to find out more from Faye and Beevive then you can follow them on Instagram where you'll find them as @beevive_uk. You can also visit their website beevive.com to buy your very own kit and so much more.

Tom Coleman - Sip, Sow...Grow! Hello and welcome back to a brand new season - we're back for a whopping fifth season of the podcast with new guests and brand new stories and conversations with some people you will definitely know, and some people you'll come to know In this week's episode, I'm in conversation with a wonderful friend and without a doubt the person that I know the best out of all of my previous guests. Someone I've spent a tremendous amount of time with this year, as we've drove up and down the country to and from every single garden show on offer. With all of that in mind, you'll be unsurprised that my guest this week with the social media guru and Instagram wizard, Tom Coleman. Tom knows EVERYTHING there is to know about Instagram but he's also a mean gardener too and a dahlia expert to boot! This year has arguably been one of the best ever for Tom, as he's started a new business, hosted his own podcast and so much more, so let's dive in! If you'd like to find out more from Tom then you can follow him on Instagram where you'll find him as @imtomcoleman. You can also listen to Tom's podcast on all major podcast apps and websites by searching for ‘Sip and Sow'.

Alan Gardner - The Autistic Gardener! Hello and welcome back to a brand new season - we're back for a whopping fifth season of the podcast with new guests and brand new stories and conversations with some people you will definitely know, and some people you'll come to know In this week's episode, I'm talking to someone that you possibly might not know, but you'll be oh so glad that you do by the end of the episode. My guest is a gardener by name and a gardener by nature, at this point some of you will have guessed that this week my guest is the truly unique Alan Gardner. Known by most over on Twitter and also on Instagram as @autisticgardner. Alan is a garden designer, a TV presenter and is perhaps most well known for his TV show ‘The Autistic Gardener' which aired for two seasons on Channel 4 between 2015 and 2017. In this conversation we discuss Alan's 40 designs at Hampton Court, Chelsea and Tatton Park, among others and how Alan embraces his Asperger's Syndrome to create the most diverse designs around. Enjoy! If you'd like to find out more from Alan then you can follow him on Instagram and Twitter, but be warned, he is quite formidable on Twitter and he won't mind me saying that!!

Dave Goulson - Where to Begin with Bees! Hello and welcome back to a brand new season - we're back for a whopping fifth season of the podcast with new guests and brand new stories and conversations with some people you will definitely know, and some people you'll come to know In this week's episode, we're talking about (amongst other things), bees! We all know that we should be making our gardens into pollinator friendly habitats but why exactly and how easy is it? Thankfully this week I'm joined by a true authority on all things bees, Dave Goulson. Dave is famous for his love of bees and his multiple books on the subject, including ‘A Sting In The Tale', ‘Bee Quest' and ‘Gardening for Bumblebees'. Join me and Dave as we discuss our buzzy friends and so much more. If you'd like to find out more from Dave then you can follow him on Instagram @dave.goulson or on twitter @DaveGoulson. All of Dave's incredible books are available in all good bookshops.

JP Clark - Life, Loves and Gardening! Hello and welcome back to a brand new season - we're back for a whopping fifth season of the podcast with new guests and brand new stories and conversations with some people you will definitely know, and some people you'll come to know In this week's episode, I'm joined by probably one of my favourite people from Instagram. Someone who brings joy, entertainment, laughs, and just good fun to everything he does. My guest this week fuses wonderful interior inspiration with gardening prowess and ideas to keep your mind flowing, all the while doing so with a smile. I am of course talking about the sensational JP Clark, otherwise known on Instagram as @jpslifeandloves. JP is a hairdresser by trade but he's also created a space on his Instagram page where he shares the joys of his house and his beautiful garden in equal measure. He's amassed a dedicated following and if you're following him already then you'll know why, if you're not – then you really should be. So sit down, get yourself a glass of something and listen along, enjoy! Do make sure you follow along with JP over on his Instagram page, and don't forget to click the link in his bio to read his Substack newsletter too!

Helen Cross - Grow, Cook, Inspire! Hello and welcome back to a brand new season - we're back for a whopping fifth season of the podcast with new guests and brand new stories and conversations with some people you will definitely know, and some people you'll come to know In this week's episode, we're bringing it back to basics and understanding the fundamentals of why we should be getting children gardening! This week I'm joined by gardener, writer and RHS School Gardening Champion, Helen Cross. Helen is a passionate about bringing gardening to the forefront of the curriculum but she's also impassioned about something else too growing your own food and creating delicious meals with those ingredients! In this conversation we talk in depth about Helen's book ‘Grow, Cook, Inspire' – a book dedicated to the highs and lows of seasonal growing! If you'd like to find out more from Helen then you can follow her on Instagram @grow_cook_inspire and you'll also find more information on her website growcookinspire.com. Helen's book also called ‘Grow, Cook, Inspire' is available online and in all good bookshops.