Listen Now

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.