BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Podcast

Why buy new when your garden could be full of materials with a story? Frances shares her passion for reclaiming and reusing everything from old bricks and timber to windows, pallets and unexpected household finds. Discover how reclaimed materials can save money, reduce waste and bring personality to paths, patios, containers and garden structures. Frances also explains why working with what already exists can be creatively liberating, more sustainable and surprisingly accessible, even if you’re not a skilled DIYer. Packed with practical ideas and inspiration, this episode will have you looking at “junk” in a completely new way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s cheerful garden checklist with Claire Vennis covers juicy harvests, alpine TLC and a simple way to help hedgehogs before winter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Growing your own food can transform the way you cook, eat and live. Cook, writer and grower Nelly Babazadeh shares how her Iranian heritage inspired a lifelong love of seasonal food and how gardening has helped her reconnect with nature, family and wellbeing. From preserving the harvest with homemade jams and pickles to reducing food waste and embracing slow living, Nelly offers practical tips to help you make the most of every ingredient and encourages you to savour every season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Flowers don't have to be fleeting. Katie Christer from Sitopia Farm shares how to grow, harvest and dry beautiful blooms that can be enjoyed long after summer has faded. Discover the best flowers and seed heads for drying, simple techniques to preserve their colour and shape, and how to create stunning seasonal wreaths and arrangements. Katie also explains why growing flowers sustainably is so important, how organic farming supports pollinators and biodiversity, and why working with nature, not against it, can create healthier gardens, more resilient soils and flowers full of character that tell the story of the seasons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Claire has 3 early September jobs to do in the garden including planting pollinator-friendly bulbs for a buzzing spring ahead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What makes an organic garden thrive? Sarah Mead, creator of the celebrated Yeo Valley Organic Garden, shares the philosophy and practical techniques behind one of Britain's most inspiring gardens. From composting and healthy soil to seasonal planting, meadow management and creating year-round interest, Sarah explains how working with nature leads to stronger, more resilient gardens. She also reflects on the importance of patience, creativity and learning to trust natural processes, before offering simple ways every gardener can make a positive difference. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Should gardens always be neat and tidy? In this episode, Monty Don makes the case for embracing a little unruliness in the garden. He explains how balancing structured planting with wilder spaces can create healthier habitats for wildlife, improve biodiversity and make gardens more resilient. From lawns and long grass to weeds, mulching and healthy soil, Monty shares practical advice on gardening with nature rather than against. Along the way, he explores why gardens are works of craft rather than wilderness, and how adapting our expectations can help us create beautiful, thriving spaces for both people and wildlife. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Claire shares the simple sweetcorn trick every gardener should know, plus late-summer jobs for roses and dragonflies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Monty Don joins us to celebrate one of the stars of the late-summer garden: the dahlia. From favourite varieties and colour combinations to overwintering techniques and growing dahlias in containers, Monty shares how he uses these vibrant plants to keep Longmeadow looking spectacular well into autumn. He also reflects on the creation of his famous Jewel Garden, explains why late-season interest is so important, and reveals the other plants he relies on to bring colour and drama when many gardens are beginning to fade. Packed with practical advice and gardening inspiration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Frances Tophill explores the joys, challenges and emotions of creating your own garden. From deciding what to keep, remove or rehome, to choosing plants that reflect your personality and support wildlife, Frances shares honest insight from her own gardening journey. She talks about leaving a much-loved garden behind, planning a new urban wildlife experiment and why a garden doesn’t need to look professionally designed to be meaningful. With practical ideas, thoughtful reflections and plenty of encouragement, this episode is for anyone ready to put their own stamp on a growing space. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join Gardeners’ World Magazine podcast presenter Claire Vennis for a lively late-summer potter through the jobs worth doing now - from jazzing up heucheras to sowing spinach and saving seeds for bees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Ashley Edwards as he reveals what really goes on behind the scenes of DIY SOS. From designing life-changing gardens in just days to working through 2am finishes, Ashley shares the chaos, community spirit and emotional moments that make the show so special. He talks accessible planting, sustainable reuse, favourite low-maintenance plants, and the joy of seeing families enjoy their transformed spaces. Plus, hear about his horticultural journey from Kew to Sicily, Horatio’s Garden, Gardeners’ Question Time and Gardeners’ World, with plenty of practical inspiration along the way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What makes a garden truly welcoming? In this episode, BBC Gardeners' World presenter and garden designer Arit Anderson explores how thoughtful garden design can create spaces that work for everyone, regardless of age, ability or gardening experience. From sensory planting and accessible pathways to community gardening projects and intergenerational growing, Arit shares practical ideas for making outdoor spaces more inclusive. She also discusses how gardens can support wellbeing, tackle loneliness, inspire young people to connect with nature and help communities thrive. Whether you have a large garden, a balcony or no garden at all, there's inspiration for everyone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Will your buddleia give butterflies one last feast, are your tomatoes ready for their big August moment, and could a simple splash of water turn your garden into a wildlife hotspot? Join BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine's Claire Vennis for three easy, feel-good jobs to do now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What makes a garden feel calm, balanced and timeless? Award-winning garden designer Tomoko Kawauchi shares how her upbringing in rural Japan continues to shape her approach to creating beautiful outdoor spaces. In this episode, she explains the simple design principles that work in gardens of any size, from using structure and circulation to choosing plants for function rather than fashion. Tomoko also discusses designing with nature, adapting to climate change, improving soil health and creating spaces that encourage people to slow down and reconnect with the outdoors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this inspiring episode, broadcaster, garden designer and author Mark Lan explores what accessible gardening really means. Following a life-changing accident, Mark discovered the restorative power of plants and went on to champion inclusive outdoor spaces that work for everyone. He shares practical ideas for designing gardens around ability, from wide paths, sensory planting and resting places to thrifty approaches that remove financial and physical barriers. With warmth, honesty and plenty of expert insight, Mark shows how gardens of any size can boost wellbeing, welcome wildlife and help more people enjoy growing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Claire's quick and practical gardening jobs are to trim lavender, clean bird boxes and how to grow bigger beetroot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Celebrate the joy of summer harvests with Frances as she shares why growing your own tastes better, how to choose crops that are useful, beautiful and good value, and why perennial veg deserves a place alongside annual favourites. From tomatoes, squash and kale crisps to cut flowers, sweet peas and plants for natural dyes, this warm, practical chat explores the many rewards of a productive garden and proves it’s never too late to sow, grow and harvest something delicious. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Award-winning garden designer and TV presenter Danny Clarke (The Black Gardener) reveals how to create a garden you love without spending a fortune, whatever size gardening space. Danny shares the personal story of how he found his way into horticulture and offers practical, budget-friendly design ideas that make an immediate difference. Encouraging gardeners to plan slowly and thoughtfully, prioritise plants over lawn for lower maintenance and more wildlife, choosing resilient plants that suit your space and conditions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As we head into August, Claire takes you through giving those borders a freshen up, taking salvia tip cuttings and planting out spring cabbages Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How can we grow food in a way that's rooted in heritage, but forward thinking enough to support biodiversity and sustainability for generations to come? Gemma Sturges is the Kitchen Garden Supervisor and organic gardener at Audley End House and Gardens and has spent more than a decade managing the historic walled kitchen garden. Growing heritage fruit and vegetables, nurturing soil health and caring for perennial crops and traditional produce in a fully organic way, Gemma shares how she grows to build sustainable gardens that support wildlife, celebrate biodiversity and connects to the generations of growers before us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transform your balcony into a beautiful, wildlife-friendly garden with expert advice from BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Ashley Edwards. In this practical episode, Ashley shares how to choose lightweight containers, create stylish planting schemes and select tough plants that can cope with wind, shade and drought. He also explores clever watering ideas, balcony ponds, compact trees, outdoor furniture, composting and ways to make even one pot count for wildlife. Whether you have a tiny urban balcony or a small paved space, discover how to grow with confidence, experiment with plants and turn your outdoor area into a relaxing, colourful retreat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Claire is back this week with easy jobs for summer gardens that can make a real difference, but don’t take long - this week refresh your containers, give your lawn some TLC and have a bit of a tidy up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sharing her expert advice on gardening and growing plants on a budget, Frances reveals how to find bargain buys at nurseries and garden centres and advises to choose smaller pots, healthy roots and plants with strong growth points. She explains when it’s worth splashing out on statement plants, why trees can be a smart investment, and how swapping seeds, growing from supermarket scraps and rescuing discounted perennials can save money. Packed with practical tips on buying, planting, watering and nurturing new plants, get more from every pound while creating a thriving, beautiful garden. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How can spending time in nature improve our health? In this episode, GP, broadcaster and bestselling author Dr Amir Khan explores the science behind nature's remarkable benefits for both our physical and mental wellbeing. From the calming effects of birdsong and green spaces to creating a wildlife-friendly garden filled with ponds, pollinator plants and butterflies, Amir shares practical ways to make the most of the natural world. He also discusses his work with Butterfly Conservation, why our gardens play a vital role in protecting wildlife, and how even the smallest green space can become a sanctuary for both people and nature. Pick up the August issue of BBC Gardeners' World magazine for lots more advice on creating a butterfly-friendly garden. To take part in this year's Big Butterfly Count, visit bigbutterflycount.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Claire enjoys a cheerful mid-July potter to collect seeds, give strawberries some TLC and suggest easy ways to give garden wildlife a helping hand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Looking for advice on gardening in shade? In this episode, recorded at BBC Gardeners’ World Live, Monty Don explains how to grow plants successfully in low-light conditions and why shade can be an advantage, not a problem. Discover the best plants for shade, how to improve soil in dry shade, and practical ways to manage light and moisture for a healthier garden. Whether you’re dealing with a small shady corner or a full shade garden, this episode is packed with expert, easy-to-follow tips. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Garden and landscape designer Adam Frost breaks down how to design or redesign your garden properly. Starting with what you want from the space, how you move through it, and why getting ideas down on paper can save you serious money and frustration. From rescuing mature shrubs with confident pruning to balancing hard landscaping with planting and planning a garden that can evolve with family life, it’s a practical, confidence-boosting guide to creating an outdoor space that truly fits you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join Claire in the garden this week to thin out fruit on apple and pear trees, support tall vegetables and flowers, and enjoy a little summertime harvest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Garden designer Pip Probert shares smart, stylish ways to make small outdoor spaces work harder. From choosing the right amount of paving to adding height, structure and personality, Pip explains how to avoid costly mistakes and create a garden that feels beautifully designed, whatever its size. She offers practical advice on budget-friendly materials, hardworking plants, pots, trees, arches and one-metre growing ideas, plus tips on planning, prioritising and finding inspiration. Whether you have a courtyard, balcony or modest back garden, discover garden design ideas to help every area flourish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Award-winning garden designer Sarah Eberle reflects on 50 years in horticulture, from a feral childhood in Devon to creating some of the most memorable show gardens at Chelsea. She shares how her design philosophy has evolved, why nature and landscape remain at the heart of her work, and the inspiration behind her latest Chelsea Flower Show garden, On the Edge, which won both a Gold Medal and Garden of the Year. Along the way, Sarah talks climate change, planting with purpose, and why great gardens should offer sanctuary, beauty and a powerful sense of place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's time for Oliver's early July jobs: harvest and preserve herbs at their peak, give your fruit a midsummer boost, and start planning for a garden full of autumn colour. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

RHS Hyde Hall curator Ian Le Gros shares his top plant picks for dry gardens, exposed sites and climate-resilient planting. Discover drought-tolerant favourites including euphorbias, eucalyptus, palms and evergreen shrubs that deliver year-round colour, structure and scent, even in tough conditions. Ian explains how these hardy plants thrive in wind, gravel and free-draining soils, while offering practical gardening advice for creating a beautiful low-maintenance garden. Whether you’re planning a Mediterranean-style border, updating a dry garden or searching for resilient plants that can cope with hotter summers, discover expert inspiration and planting ideas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join Frances Tophill for a joyful celebration of wildflowers, wild gardening and the beauty of so-called weeds. From poppies, cow parsley and bluebells to medicinal plants, folklore and pollinator-friendly planting, Frances explores how wildflowers connect us to nature, memory and the changing seasons. Discover practical tips for growing wildflowers in your garden, supporting bees and butterflies, and creating a more natural, wildlife-friendly space. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hot weather hitting your garden? Here’s how to water smarter, protect pots, rest your lawn, and support wildlife through the heat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From drought-tolerant gravel gardens to wildlife-friendly planting and sustainable new-build landscapes, Beth Chatto CEO Julia Bolton and head gardener Asa Gregers-Warg reveal how the garden continues to evolve in response to climate change, biodiversity loss and modern gardening challenges. Sharing practical ideas for creating resilient, beautiful gardens that work with nature, staying true to Beth Chatto’s pioneering vision, they explain how through observation, experimentation and thoughtful planting can transform the way we garden. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From prolonged droughts to repeated flooding, Monty draws on experiences at Longmeadow and shares what he’s learned about water-wise gardening, climate resilience and the surprising ways plants respond to changing conditions. Discover practical advice on mulching, saving rainwater, autumn planting and choosing plants that can better cope with dry summers and wet winters. Monty explains why gardeners are entering a new era of experimentation, observation and adaptation and why understanding water has become one of the most important parts of modern gardening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oliver’s mid-June jobs are here! Take softwood herb cuttings, give the lawn a lift, and tie in climbers before they turn into a massive floppy mess. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From rosemary, mint and basil to herbal teas and edible flowers, Adam explains how fresh herbs can transform both your garden and your food. He reveals why herbs are the one thing he’d always grow, how he keeps plants productive, and the simple ways he uses homegrown flavours in everyday cooking. Along the way, he shares memories of learning to cook, tips for growing herbs in pots and borders, and why nurturing the soil is the secret to better flavour. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Feel inspired to join the magazine’s Make a Metre Matter campaign this year with gardener and author Lucy Chamberlain. Discover practical, wildlife-friendly ways to assess your conditions and choose crops that thrive, and even a tiny growing space can deliver big results. From herbs and salads to containers and one-square-metre ideas, learn how to grow more food, support biodiversity, and cut waste in even the smallest garden. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mid‑June garden glow-up! Feed your roses, outsmart pesky pests, and build a mini wildlife hangout with three quick wins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Exploring everything from wild species and wildlife-friendly roses to climbers, ramblers and container growing, Head Rosarian at David Austin Roses, Liam Beddall, shares expert rose-growing advice on how to plant and prune your roses, and choose the best rose for your garden. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Explore how plants can be grown and used to create natural dyes for theatrical textiles, the craft and heritage behind indigo dyeing, challenges of achieving consistent colour for stage costumes, with trainee textile artist Lorelle Aboagye and Skills Centre head Simon Stephens. Discover why natural dyes offer a more sustainable alternative to synthetics and beginner-friendly ideas for growing your own dye plants. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Prune spring-flowering shrubs with confidence, sow biennials for next year’s colour, and water wisely to keep your garden thriving. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chris Packham joins the podcast to talk about rewilding, biodiversity and the power of noticing what’s right in front of us. From the wildlife that first captured his imagination to the value of focusing on just one square metre, he shares how small, thoughtful actions can help gardeners create richer habitats at home. Touching on the magazine's Make a Metre Matter campaign, managing garden spaces for wildlife and the joy of paying closer attention, this inspiring conversation confirms how every garden, however small, can play a part in supporting nature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Grow along with Frances Tophill as she shares practical, time-saving ways to build a more productive garden. Starting with soil and light, choosing “good doer” crops, and using low-maintenance methods like no-dig, perennials, and container growing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

End‑of‑May gardening tips for sowing tender veg, deadheading spring blooms, and turbo-charging pots and hanging baskets for a riot of summer colour - and a tastier harvest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join Gardeners’ World TV presenter Ashley Edwards as he shares the best plants for summer scent. From lavender, rosemary and catmint to roses, jasmine and lilies, you’ll also pick up practical tips on where to plant for maximum fragrance, plus pruning and feeding advice to keep the perfume coming all season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Grow your own vegetables with Adam Frost as he shares easy veg to grow at home. From quick salad crops and carrots to long-term favourites like asparagus, practical advice on soil, containers, flavour and low-stress gardening. Adam shares his expert vegetable growing tips to help you start a productive veg garden in any space, perfect for beginner gardeners and kitchen garden enthusiasts alike. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Chelsea Chop explained, plus how to earth up potatoes in bags for bigger harvests and plant out sweet peas for summer fragrance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Garden designer Andy Sturgeon and Peer Support Worker Glenn Mahaffy explore how the MIND Garden evolved from a Chelsea Flower Show garden into a thriving community space supporting mental health and nature connection. They also discuss the vital role of Project Giving Back in bringing the garden to life and ensuring its lasting impact. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Show Garden season is nearing, and BBC Gardeners’ World presenter and designer Arit Anderson takes us behind the scenes of creating a RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden that blends innovation, teamwork and deeply personal storytelling. From the early idea to the intense 18‑day build, she reveals the pressure, passion and people behind a purpose‑led garden inspired by Parkinson’s UK, and what it really takes to bring a show garden to life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Harden off and plant out tender seedlings, divide perennials for stronger growth (and free plants), and create show-stopping summer pots and hanging baskets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Discover the joy in growing, whatever space you have. With beginner‑friendly gardening advice, small‑space growing ideas, and nature‑led projects for every season, gardener and author Amy Chapman shows how gardening can boost wellbeing, reduce anxiety, and reconnect you with nature. Perfect for new gardeners, urban growers, and anyone who believes joy is a gardening skill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Flower farmer and florist Georgie Newbery explores the beauty and impact of growing seasonal, British-grown flowers, sharing practical advice, personal stories, and a powerful philosophy around sustainability, seed sovereignty, and gardening in harmony with nature. Whether you’re a seasoned grower or just flower-curious, enjoy an inspiring conversation about cultivating flowers that nourish both people and the planet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Early May in the garden tasks to set you up for a brilliant summer harvest - get ruthless with weeds, squeeze in your last maincrop potatoes, and mulch now to lock in moisture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Grower and author Anna Greenland explores how even the smallest spaces can produce beautiful, flavour packed food through thoughtful plant choices, healthy soil, and a deeper understanding of nature. Drawing on her experience working with chefs and gardens of all scales, she shares practical advice on growing edibles, nurturing living soil, and reconnecting with the rhythms of the seasons; reflecting on resilience, wellbeing, and how gardening can ground and nourish us in uncertain times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Heavy clay, deep shade, a sun scorched patch of ground where nothing seems to flourish. It's easy to see these as problems, but sometimes the very thing you are battling is the key to a garden that feels distinctive, resilient, and entirely your own. Gardener, TV presenter and author Toby Buckland, explores how to unlock the potential of your plot by embracing its character and all its flaws. From reading your space properly, spotting opportunities where others see obstacles, and choosing plants that celebrate your conditions rather than suffering through them, discover how to create the garden that works for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Practical May gardening - sow seeds at the perfect moment, get your lawn looking sharper with less fuss, and stake perennials early to stop the dreaded ‘great flop’ before summer hits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

BBC Newsround presenter De Graft Mensah reflects on his “baptism of fire” into allotment growing, sharing honest lessons from successes, failures and the joy of community gardening. He discusses how small, imperfect spaces can reconnect us with food, nature and biodiversity, and explains why the Make a Metre Matter campaign proves that even a single square metre can make a meaningful difference for people and the planet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join Dr Hayley Jones, principal entomologist at RHS Wisley, to find out more about why insects and other invertebrates are vital to ecosystems. Discover the garden-focused collection, how it is stored, how it has evolved since it was started in 1911 and the importance of tracking and reporting new or regulated pests. A UK-wide 2020 Slugs Count project created a preserved slug collection and informed advice on slug identification, non-chemical control, and the beneficial roles they play in our gardens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You might not think it’s possible for a vegetable to be trendy, but kale undoubtedly is, and has been for some time. It’s become the poster child of whole food-based, healthy eating, and with good reason, it’s a genuine super food. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Discover how a two-acre former service area in central London has been reimagined into a new, tranquil, richly planted climate-resilient garden in memory of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Through thoughtful design, royal associations and a commitment to long-term sustainability and biodiversity, Head of Horticulture and Landscape Strategies at the Royal Parks Matthew Pottage reveals the horticultural vision of the planting scheme and innovative design. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Whether you are starting from scratch or rethinking the gardening space you already have, what garden design principles can help you on your way to creating the garden you've always wanted, and what should you avoid? Award-winning garden designer Pollyanna Wilkinson will discuss the dos and don'ts of garden design from mistakes people make time and time again to the fundamentals of garden design that can really make a garden work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Colourful and nutritious, packed with vitamins and minerals, beetroot is an easy vegetable to grow. With both the round root and green leaves being edible, beetroot taste delicious and look great, and you can enjoy beetroot almost year-round. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Discover Down House in Kent where Charles Darwin lived for 40 years and carried out world-changing research in his domestic family garden. This re-created Victorian garden includes an historic glasshouse of carnivorous plants, kitchen garden and surrounding meadows that supported Darwin’s accessible experiments connecting the site today to biodiversity, native planting, organic gardening and wildlife-friendly habitats. Visit the Down House in the BBC Gardeners' World 2-4-1 gardens scheme. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Create year-round garden interest by thinking beyond a plant list. BBC Gardeners' World presenter, Arit Anderson, suggests focusing on the seasons, your garden size, the light and shade patterns, structure and wildlife too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Courgettes will thrive if you give them what they need and reward you with lots – sometimes maybe too many – delicious fruits for you to enjoy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join plantsman and BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Jamie Butterworth to discover how to create inspiring, accessible plant combinations that add structure, seasonal interest, and biodiversity Using his “plant recipe” approach to keep designs straightforward with repeated plants and including trees or clipped shrubs for structure, Jamie's key advice for beginners is to get the soil right by adding organic matter and keep gardening joyful. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Frances Tophill breaks down how beginners can start gardening anywhere by building healthy soil, choosing the right pots and compost blends, and keeping container plants well-fed. Discover best practice seed‑sowing techniques, easy bulbs, essential tools, and the best places to find trustworthy gardening guidance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Plant cosmos in beds, borders and containers to create a cohesive, wildflower meadow effect around the garden Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sarah Raven shares the secrets of her success to growing cut flowers. With advice for how you can fill your home with gorgeous bouquets of cut flowers year-round, to get started in small gardening spaces and to ensure your cut flower arrangements last well and look amazing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pots and containers add interest, height, colour, and even that ‘wow’ factor, no matter what size your garden or growing space. Join gardener and author Arthur Parkinson who reveals tips and advice for how to start, what to plant, and how to maintain your garden pots to create gorgeous year-round interest and encourage pollinators too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Squash are an easy and bountiful vegetable producing dramatic plants and handsome, delicious fruits. Each variety is a little bit different and they keep for ages and ages into the winter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tomatoes, they tempt us. Every spring we pour over seed packets, debate varieties, and picture in our minds trusses of fruit so heavy, they practically bow the stems. Author Holly Farrell reveals what really matters when it comes to tomatoes, the choices and pitfalls, and the surprising bit of know-how behind every fantastic crop of tomatoes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reconnect with the natural world and the turning of the seasons this growing year with Almanac author Lia Leendertz. Discover seasonal gardening advice linked to nature’s rhythm and the myriad things we can look forward to over the coming months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you want a plant that’ll give you months and months of vibrant, colourful blooms, that makes a great, long-lasting cut flower, and is easy to grow from seed, look no further than zinnias. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adam Frost lets you know how to keep your garden colourful year-round despite unpredictable weather. He shares why plant diversity is key and they explore: how climate change is reshaping the way we garden, why good soil matters more than predictable weather, and how leaving seed heads and untidy borders can attract wildlife and extend seasonal interest. Adam also hints at plans for his next garden — one built to last for generations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Step into the mystical forest of Hamnet to explore the plants chosen for the film and the powerful meanings they hold with Dr Kim Walker, medical herbalist, director of Betonica School of Herbal Medicine. As herbal consultant, Kim worked closely with director Chloe Zhao and actor Jessie Buckley, where a deep connection to land and plant lore creates a distinctive atmosphere, blending folklore, medicine, and emotional symbolism. And discover how you can grow your own Hamnet-inspired herb garden. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you’re after a reliable, rewarding flower to grow from seed, sunflowers are hard to beat. The seeds are big enough for even the tiniest hands to handle, so they’re perfect for getting children involved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Monty explains why plants that climb are so valuable for our gardens to boost the flower display and for supporting garden wildlife. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Known to many for her love of baking, Dame Mary Berry claims in another life she ‘may have been a gardener’. From spending time in the garden as a child to enjoying gardens she’s created over the years, Mary shares her love of gardening through the seasons, and the importance of connecting to nature for wellbeing. With top gardening tips, we’ll also discover her favourite plants, the people and gardens that have influenced her and how some energetic weeding is good for the soul. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tall and elegant, growing on upright spikes lined with individual flowers, these delicate yet regal floral towers can bring a fairytale look to a flower border. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From how to begin gardening, growing with the seasons, creating months of floral colour in borders and pots, and discovering successful plant combinations, we’ll also give your garden year-round interest, unlock the potential of your plot, give advice for what to grow in small spaces, plant for pollinators, nurture the land we grow on, find the joy in gardening, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Start your gardening year with growing inspiration in the Spring Conversations podcast from BBC Gardeners' World Magazine and hear from the UK’s most loved and well-respected gardening experts.From how to begin gardening, growing with the seasons, creating months of floral colour in borders and pots, and discovering successful plant combinations, we’ll also give your garden year-round interest, unlock the potential of your plot, give advice for what to grow in small spaces, plant for pollinators, nurture the land we grow on, find the joy in gardening, and more.Enjoy friendly gardening chat and informative discussion with the magazine team, perfect for everyone who loves gardening. With new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday. Subscribe now, wherever you get your podcasts, and never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This time of year, the last thing many of us think about doing is immersing in cold water outside, but cold, open water can calm the mind, strengthen the body, and reconnect us with nature, boosting mental clarity, mood and resilience. No stranger to wild swimming is cold water swimming expert, open water coach, and wild swimming author Alice Goodridge, based in the Scottish Highlands. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dainty and beautiful, Daucus carota is an ornamental variety of wild carrot that produces flowing airy flower clusters. The flowers add interest to a border, vegetable patch or meadow-style area and can encourage biodiversity to your garden. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pioneering scheme transforms mental health care in Bradford. The NHS Trust is using projects including allotment visits, canal-side walks and VR headsets showing footage of the local moors, as part of its treatment for patients suffering from a range of mental health problems. Practionioner Cathy Schofield shares how this could become the future of NHS mental health care. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Connecting with nature and gardening are proven ways to benefit our health and wellbeing. Support for people to engage in nature-based interventions is also on the rise, highlighting the vital work that a burgeoning collective of community gardens and community gardeners are doing. Therapeutic gardener at RHS Bridgewater, Salford, Ozichi Brewster talks about the healing power of nature and gardening, and how a rise in social prescribing is helping a range of health and wellbeing issues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you haven’t heard of Ratibida before, it’s also known as the Prairie coneflower. A plant that thrives in dry conditions, it's happy growing in many planting locations from a cottage or informal garden to a gravel garden, in prairie planting, and in flower borders and beds, as well as to grow for a cut flower. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Creating green spaces for our cities and community gardens for residents are ways to bring pockets of nature into our urban landscapes. By strengthening social ties, they bring neighbours together, foster a sense of belonging, and create supportive, multicultural networks, transforming neighbourhoods and empowering residents to reshape the way cities think about green space. Naveep Deol, trustee of the National Park City Foundation and chair of the London National Park City, is a passionate advocate for greener cities, the community gardening movement, and how these shared green spaces can act as small sanctuaries that nurture both personal and community health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As we look for ways to spend more time in nature, how can we build a deeper and more meaningful relationship with the natural world? What does it mean to connect with nature, why does it matter and how have we drifted away from it? Chair of Natural England, Tony Juniper is one of the UK’s most influential environmental thinkers and campaigners. Combining scientific insight, policy expertise, and a passion for the natural world, he'll discuss how reconnecting can change not just the way we live, but the world we’re shaping for generations to come. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you wish to grow chillis this year, it’s important to get started early in the season and sow in the first few months of the year. Chillis need a long and warm growing season, and by starting them early - from January to March - you’ll give them the time they need to grow, flower, and ripen their fruits fully. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Two-year study reveals the startling impact that playing in nature has on children's immune systems, and their likelihood of developing allergies and diseases such as asthma and diabetes. Researcher Marja Roslund talks about the dramatic changes they measured in children's ability to fight off illnesses and the reduction in harmful bacteria found in their gut, after they rewilded the children's daycare centres, bringing in soil, plants and even a section of forest floor. She also explains the causal link between the explosion in allergies and conditions such as asthma and diabetes, and the changes we can make to make a difference. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We all know deep in our bones that gardening is good for us, but increasingly this is no longer a thing we just have to have faith in. The scientific evidence is mounting up that gardening can have transformative effects for our minds and bodies, helping us to make us fitter, less stressed and happier to boot. GP, Therapeutic Horticulture Advocate and Chief Executive of the National Garden Scheme Dr. Richard Claxton is at the forefront of this new scientific approach to gardening and health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lettuce is the backbone of every good salad. It’s also one of the most popular crops to grow, because it’s easy and quick, and thanks to its size, can be grown pretty much anywhere – from the veg plot to pots on a balcony or windowsill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, we speak to Melissa Simpson, Head of Horticulture for The King’s Foundation, His Majesty’s nature and sustainability charity. She reveals how they implement His Majesty’s Harmony philosophy at his gardens at Highgrove, Dumfries House and the Castle of Mey. Melissa shares how his ideals inform how the gardens and wildlife are managed, and how it impacts the people who work at and visit the gardens. Plus, she shares clever organic tricks we can all adopt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We talk a lot about healthy soil, mulching it, feeding it, protecting it, but what if the health of our soil isn't just about thriving soil organisms and thriving plants, but thriving people too? Nutritionist Sam Ratanji delves into the remarkable parallels between the soil microbiome and our own bodies.Exploring how soil life affects flavour nutrition and even elements of our own wellbeing and uncover the small changes that every gardener can make to support richer soil and richer health too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Large loud white and grey bird with a sharp yellow beak and the confidence of someone who owns the entire coastline. Sharp minded messy comedic and fearless. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices