BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Podcast

Herbs have the power to ease our pain, fight infections, lift our mood – and add delicious flavours to our food. But they’re so often treated as a throwaway plant from the supermarket. ‘Queen of Herbs’ Jekka McVicar believes it is not just easy to grow herbs all year round but that, with their health-giving properties, herbs are our future. She discusses how to grow your herbs for better flavour and health, the essentials everyone should grow for every season, and shares easy recipes to try now, including her failsafe winter health tonic from a homegrown staple of the veg garden. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on Sowalong, Gardeners’ World presenter and seed sowing expert Frances Tophill guides you through growing sweetcorn from seed. She shares her tips for sowing and planting out, plus how to store seeds for winter. Frances has loved sweetcorn ever since she was a kid, enjoying using 1970’s prong forks to eat boiled corn on the cob with melted butter. First growing it as an apprentice gardener, she discusses why it’s a favourite for its sensory benefits too – a plant which rushes and whispers to her in the wind. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dame Prue Leith is a chef and pioneering businesswoman, creator of a world-leading cookery school, author of so many inspiring recipe books, a prolific novelist, a campaigner, broadcaster - and formidable judge on Great British Bake Off and now lead judge of the B&Q Gardener of the Year competition. And of course, she is a true gardener. She’s not only opened her beautiful Cotswolds garden for charity over many years, she has now embarked in her 80s on creating a brand-new garden for herself and husband John to enjoy. With nearly 200 trees already planted in their new patch, we joined her at home to discover why she is always looking ahead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this week’s Sowalong, world-renowned chef and convert to growing his own food, Marcus Wareing, tells us all about his passion for elephant garlic. He first discovered it when his gardener Anatoli introduced it into his kitchen garden and now considers the mild garlic-meets-onion flavour a delicacy and go-to in his dishes. Sown from bulbs kept back from the previous year, Marcus chats though planting cloves, ensuring plenty of growing space Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you wish the children in your life had a better understanding of the natural world? Would you rather they were outside, in the fresh air and at one with nature, rather than addicted to television or a computer screen? Kevin chats to celebrated children’s writer, Michael Morpurgo to discover if our gardens can fuel children’s creativity and play a part in connecting them with nature. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on Sowalong, we’re celebrating the delights of sowing and growing tomatoes from seed. Fast and with reliable germination, BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine’s Features Editor Adam Duxbury, tells us why tomatoes are a brilliant way in for those new to growing food at home. Shooting up quickly and with delicious end results, the hardest part is choosing from the hundreds of tomato varieties on offer, from old heirloom types to an array of new disease-resistant and super sweet cultivars. Whether growing in the greenhouse or outside, he covers getting tomato seedlings off to a good start and how to ensure strong and vigorous plants – with those all-important jewel-like trusses of shiny fruit. Listen now, for growing tips and advice on everything from pinching out side shoots, to turning a glut into bottles of delicious slow-roasted, herby tomato and garlic sauce. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We all love the idea of picking healthy, homegrown food from our own gardens. But the reality doesn’t always match the dream – with gluts of crops when we can least manage them, or plants that just don’t perform and pesky pests that get to our harvests before we do. So, what steps can we all take to enjoy good eating this summer? For this food-focused episode, we turn to Monty Don to share his tips for success. He’s also the author, with his wife Sarah, of cookbooks including The Home Cookbook and Fork to Fork. Listen now, as he shares with us his favourite food, how he ensures the best harvests, and what to sow now for good pickings in the months ahead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This time on Sowalong, BBC GardenersWorld.com’s Content Creator Lily Middleton shares why growing sunflowers from seed, on a balcony in West London, brings her so much joy. Injecting brightness into an urban environment, Lily initially started growing long-lasting Helianthus annuus during the first lockdown, letting their cheery, daisy heads peer over the balcony for passers-by to spot on their daily walks. Easy to start, this season Lily is growing sunflower ‘Red Sun’, making a change from the yellow ray florets she usually leans towards. With limited pots to fill and even less propagation space, Lily explains that while it’s often challenging deciding what to grow, sunflowers always make the cut, providing guaranteed, speedy and beautiful results. Listen now, for tips on seed sowing, raising seedlings, watering, feeding and how to provide support with bamboo cane stakes as they grow. Lily covers seed saving and leaving the central discs of the flowers heads out, for wildlife to feast on. Plus, why sunflowers are the ultimate plant to encourage children to catch the gardening bug early on. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Would you like to make simple changes in the garden and be one step closer to becoming a sustainable gardener? Do you consider your garden as an essential part of the ecosystem, as well as a place of beauty, productivity and respite? This time on the podcast, gardener, author, environmentalist, and Gardeners’ World presenter Frances Tophill, shares her vision of modern gardening. Whether it’s living seasonally, using the garden as a resource for home makes, or landscaping with wildlife in mind, in her new book, The Modern Gardener, Frances urges us all to start seeing our gardens as valuable patches of wilderness. It's something Frances carries through to her show garden as this year’s Gardeners’ World Live, too. With sustainability at the core, Frances brings her passion for upcycle gardening, with a post-industrial show garden for a modern world. Think naturalistic planting and rewilded areas to support wildlife. Here, Frances chats to BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine’s Content Coordinator, Lucy Felton, about delicious hedgerow recipes, edible houseplants, agroforestry, vegan gardening and why it’s important to question the provenance of the things we bring into the garden. Listen on, for advice on growing herbs and weeds for medicinal purposes, ways to save space when growing veg and why no-dig gardening is not only beneficial to the structure of your soil, but important for the wildlife that lives within it, too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on Sowalong, BBC Gardeners’ World’s Monty Don shares his favourite vegetable to grow from seed – Florence fennel. Bringing you his best advice and know-how, Monty makes mastering this tricky-to-grow, tasty veg bed addition, a breeze. Here to answer all of your fennel conundrums, Monty covers everything from spotting peak harvesting times, to watering regimes and tricks for a good crop. Monty also offers his tips on when to sow fennel, as well as pricking out seedlings, potting on and planting out. Plus, Monty explains why the intense flavour of homegrown fennel in the kitchen is unbeatable. Whether raw in a salad, sliced up with tomatoes and avocado, or halved and roasted in a baking dish with a dash of white wine, thyme and lemon juice. A pure taste of summer. Listen on to learn why everyone should add Florence fennel to their vegetable line-up, now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you concerned by climate change, but feel powerless in the face of such a global problem? Our podcast guest Jack Wallington believes that gardening could be a powerful answer, giving us all a way to make a genuine difference in our own gardens – however small. Jack is an author, influencer, designer and advocate for sustainable gardening. He was first discovered through the Monty Don TV series Big Dreams, Small Spaces – where Monty helped him to turn a drab London patio into a plant-packed, city oasis. It was a life-changing moment, says Jack – who has gone on to turn a hobby into a career as a designer, focused on greener ways to garden. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Sowalong, BBC Gardeners’ World magazine’s Deputy Editor, Kevin Smith, shares his much-loved ritual of sowing ricinus. With striking, architectural foliage and tropical jungle appeal, ricinus suits Kevin’s planting style perfectly and he tells us why he sows this seed every year without fail. Starting as jumbo, shiny, speckled seeds ricinus, or castor oil plant, can be slow to germinate, but once it does will spring to life shooting through the soil at speed. When you eventually plant it out for the summer, it’ll reach lofty heights quickly. First discovering ricinus in northern France, Kevin quickly found this versatile, low-fuss annual great for filling gaps in borders and creating a focal point in the centre of a pot, here in the UK. Really reliable for making an impact, find out how to plant up summer bedding plants around a central castor oil plant in your containers. Listen on for advice on how to get started with ricinus seeds, watering and feeding routines, plus harvesting and seed saving tips too. Just wait until you see those beautiful spherical, spiky seed pods for the first time. Making such a statement in the summer garden, ricinus really is one to try. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Would you like to enjoy a bigger harvest and boost your wellbeing by doing less, rather than more, gardening? Have you been considering switching to the no-dig method for growing your own vegetables? Or are you simply curious to find out more about how it all works? Here, organic veg guru Charles Dowding tells GardenersWorld.com writer and enthusiastic grower, Blake Roberts, how. Author and champion of no-dig gardening, Charles Dowding, has been a leading authority on all-things no-dig since 1983 and now uses his time, and decades of experience, to teach others his growing techniques. It sounds like the Holy Grail for gardeners – to achieve better results and improve our health, all while doing a little less hard graft in the garden. We hear all about the science behind why it works, as well as how to get started, whatever the size of your plot. With years of observation from growing veg commercially on his West Country smallholding, Charles’ advice draws directly from real-world experiences and hard-won results. From a new way to look at soil improvement, to throwing out the rule book on crop rotation, Charles debunks plenty of gardening myths as he sets out a simple way to grow more, dig less, reap the rewards. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Sowalong, BBC Gardeners’ World magazine Content Coordinator and keen kitchen garden grower, Lucy Felton, shares one of her go-to crops to grow from seed, Kale ‘Black Magic’. With lush, dramatic dark green leaves delivering a plentiful harvest, the compact nature of this easy veg patch addition makes it suitable for containers and ideal for squeezing into edges of beds. Not only does kale look great in any pot or border, but it is packed with nutrients and goodness, too. Listen now for Lucy’s simple sowing tips, whether undercover, directly into beds or in containers. With advice on how to crop this hardy annual, using the flowers in salads and seed saving too. Plus, a trick for quickly removing those tough central stems and slicing up leaves for a delicious side dish or raw superfood salad. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Would you support gardening being commonplace in our schools if you knew it would improve your child’s mental wellbeing? With one in eight young people suffering with a mental health condition, could gardening be the answer to the healthy heads of a generation? We chatted to children’s gardening author and NHS patient advisor, Annabelle Padwick, about how gardening helps young people overcome mental health challenges. After struggling with her own mental health during her teenage years and into adulthood, Annabelle Padwick found that gardening was the one thing that made a difference. She now uses gardening to help primary and secondary age children overcome mental health and behaviour challenges. Listen now, as Annabelle shares how she makes gardening interesting and relatable to young people. From digging, weeding and sowing seeds, to extracting plant oils for homemade lip balm and garden design. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This time on Sowalong, BBC Gardeners’ World magazine Reviews Editor, Kay Maguire, shares her favourite flower to grow from seed. In a frilly mix of pinks, yellows, oranges and reds, Kay talks you through planting Zinnia. Find out where Kay first discovered these bright annuals and how she likes to sow them in rows in the veg plot, amongst other crops, ready for picking. With vivid colours that instantly lift a room, Zinnias last well in the vase as cut flowers. They’re brilliant border fillers, a great addition to containers and by picking them regularly through the season, you’ll encourage more and more of those daisy-like flowers. Listen now, as Kay runs through her growing tips, whether sowing straight into drills in the ground, or earlier indoors. Plus, advice on staking, watering and harvesting, too. Best of all, how to leave the last flowers on the plant at the end of the season, ready for seed saving and preparing for next year’s blooms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you strive to do more for wildlife in your garden? Are you cheered by the birds visiting your feeders or the frogs that spawn in your pond? Here, BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Wildlife Editor Kate Bradbury, is in conversation with entrepreneur and star of BBC’s Dragons’ Den, Deborah Meaden, about why the rhythm of the garden and nature is so important to her. As well as supporting climate-friendly businesses, Deborah has been slowly returning her countryside garden and surrounding land back to its former glory, encouraging nature in at every turn. Now, swallows, swifts, barn owls and badgers are just some of the creatures visiting and there’s even an otter regularly stopping in to eat the fish in her pond. She confesses she’s not green-fingered, but will have a go, and is a great believer of ‘right plant, right place’. Plus, Deborah shares her love of weeding, and tells us why she starts every day - rain, snow or shine - wandering around the garden, cup of tea in hand. From being self-sufficient by growing her own organic vegetables, to the rescue and rerelease into the wild of Pebble, the baby hare, listen now as Deborah and Kate discuss why everyone should be inviting wildlife into their gardens. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This time on Sowalong, BBC Gardeners’ World magazine Gardening Editor, Emma Crawforth, shares her favourite flower to grow from seed. With all the advice and guidance you need to start sowing and growing Nigella damascena, including how to use it in a flower border to fill gaps and why it’s perfect for the vase. A hardy annual with beautiful, upright flowers and a wave of feathery foliage, here, Emma walks your through her love of Nigella damascena. Popular with honey and bumble bees too, love-in-a-mist, as it’s more commonly known, comes in many different cultivars. There’s everything from sky blue ‘Miss Jekyll’ to the multi-coloured hues of ‘Persian Jewels’, so it’s easy to find one to suit every garden style. Listen now, as Emma covers sowing instructions, growing tips and how, after a year, this cottage garden favourite rewards you, shedding seeds that’ll grow into more flowers the next summer. Not forgetting those utterly irresistible, decorative seed heads. Here’s why Nigella damascena is one to add to the must-sow list now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Beautiful trees and the UK landscape go hand-in-hand, but did you know that many of our beloved trees are under threat, becoming ravaged by pests and diseases? As part of National Plant Health Week, here, Gardeners’ World presenter Adam Frost chats to former Head of Arboretum at Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Tony Kirkham, and Head Forester for the Duchy of Cornwall, Geraint Richards, about the state of our nation’s trees. Delving into which UK trees are currently under threat, from the caterpillar attacking popular parkland horse chestnuts, to ash dieback and acute oak decline, just how bad is it? Are we gardeners on the front line and more importantly, what, if anything, can we do to steer some of our most important native trees away from a possible point of extinction? Whether ancient specimens in native woodlands, or prize examples in our parks and gardens, trees have always been adored and celebrated by gardeners and nature lovers alike. So, listen now, as Adam, Tony and Geraint explain why we need to start taking tree health seriously and how to ensure we don’t see some of them disappearing from our treescapes entirely. Plus, advice on what you should be planting into your garden, what to look for when buying a tree, how to spot a healthy one and best gardening hygiene practice for tackling biosecurity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Having something fresh on your plate, that you’ve grown yourself from seed, is magic. From speedy mixes and little gem lettuces to mustards and pak choi, this low-fuss lunchbox and dinner table staple will quickly reward you with a delicious crop, filled with variety. Salad leaves are easy to grow in veg beds, balcony containers, or even into a couple of handy pots kept by the kitchen doorstep. Nothing beats having access to beautiful fresh leaves that can be snipped, cut and washed before being added straight to the plate. So, listen on for everything you need to know about growing an array of cut and come again salad leaves from seed. Including Kevin’s tips for successional sowing and harvesting. Why not have a go at growing some this season? Once you’ve picked that first leafy medley for the table, there’ll be no going back. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How does your garden make you feel? We gardeners know the huge benefits gardening has on our mental health and wellbeing. Here, BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Wildlife Editor Kate Bradbury, talks to Dr Amir Khan, NHS GP, TV doctor and devoted gardener, about the wonderful ways gardens and gardening can heal us. Whether we notice our blood pressure lowering or not, we all have those moments when the strains of the day, including anger and stress, melt away after an hour or two, digging the soil, sowing seeds, or even weeding. In fact, the moment Amir returns from a shift at the surgery, he heads straight into the garden. Gardening is so good for us, that doctors are now prescribing it to some patients as part of their journey to feeling better. From encouraging frogs, hedgehogs and wildlife into the garden, to the physiological changes going on inside of us when we’re outdoors nurturing our plants, listen now as Kate and Amir dive into all things feel-good gardening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Step inside the Gardeners’ World presenter’s seed library, as he shares his passion for Tithonia flowers, and how to grow them from seed. Monty is here with heaps of advice, to ensure healthy plants and a bounty of blooms, every time. Plus, the seed-sowing champion lets us all know why he grows Tithonia, the Mexican Sunflower, every year, without fail. As well as, how to ensure successful germination and plush petals, all season long. Let Monty Don persuade you to give Tithonia a try, with a few pointers along the way, as we Sowalong together. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is growing and cooking fresh food from the garden high on your wish list? Do you want to whip up dishes using homegrown ingredients but don’t know which fruits, vegetables and herbs to try first? We chat to Michelin-starred chef Marcus Wareing, about why he’s swapped his chef’s whites for life in the kitchen garden. As he spends more time expanding his smallholding in the East Sussex countryside, Marcus is the first to admit getting to grips with growing food has been one heck of a learning curve. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The joys of spring are here, our gardens are bursting into life and the brand-new season of the BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine podcast is back, full or inspiration and lively conversation – what better way to start the gardening year? From wildlife lovers to foodie growers, don’t miss that nation’s favourite gardeners as they share their love, advice and expert wisdom for all things gardening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Arit explores ways to garden that will help restore our natural balance – with leading psychiatrist and psychologist, Dr Sue Stuart-Smith. Sue believes that tending to our gardens is a good way to tend to our minds, and reveals how a dose of nature is good medecine for us all. LONGER DESCRIPTION: Our heart rate slows, our mood enhancing hormones rise, and our blood pressure lowers. These are just some of the scientific facts that tell us being in nature is good for our health. So Arit explores ways to garden that will help restore our natural balance – with leading psychiatrist and psychologist Dr Sue Stuart-Smith, who is also a great gardener. She shares a fascinating insight into how therapeutic horticulture has helped war veterans, prisoners, patients and herself – and how a dose of nature is good medicine for all of us. Dr Sue Stuart-Smith is a psychiatrist and psychotherapist, and author of the Sunday Times best-seller, The Well-Gardened Mind (2020) about the wellbeing and psychological significance of gardening. Partly inspired by working alongside her landscape designer husband, Tom Stuart-Smith, in creating their Barn Garden in Hertfordshire, she has been exploring the benefits of nature in creating a positive frame of mind. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trees are the life givers on planet earth, providing the oxygen we breathe, habitats to thousands of species, while creating beauty in our landscapes too. Yet these giants of nature are at risk. Arit talks to world-renowned tree expert Tony Kirkham, to discover why there’s a tree crisis and why we cannot – and must not – live without them. What role do trees play in helping to improve our gardens and the environment? How do trees support wildlife and biodiversity? Just how important is it to balance increased tree planting with the environmental risks? Today’s guest started as a forestry apprentice aged 16, before embarking on a 40-year career as Kew’s Head of Arboretum, Gardens and Horticultural Services. Managing 14,000 trees and sharing his passion with his team and visitors, here, he explores how trees can help everything from our mental wellbeing to noise pollution. Plus, how to choose the right trees for our gardens, whatever the size, and the vital changes we should all make now in our approach to trees. Dr Tony Kirkham was the Head of Arboretum, Gardens & Horticultural Services at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew until his retirement in 2021. He is the author of many award-winning and popular books on trees, including pruning and training guides and his celebration of their glory in Remarkable Trees (Thames & Hudson). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We investigate how plants can give city-dwellers vital protection against future climate change including extreme weather conditions and declining air quality, with our guest, scientist Dr Tijana Blanusa With fluctuating weather systems and increasing populations, our towns and cities are on the frontline of rising temperatures, flash flooding and degraded air quality. So just how can some of our common garden plants help? Arit is joined by Dr Tijana Blanusa, RHS environmental scientist and specialist in plant physiology, whose extensive research into the benefits of greening our cities reveals how plant function could give us vital protection against the future of a changing climate – and how you can use this information to make the right choices in your garden Dr Tijana Blanusa leads the RHS Ecosystem Services Research Programme, identifying the structural and functional traits of plants that can be isolated, optimised and employed to benefit the wider environment She tells us: “Most of the UK population nowadays lives in towns and cities. Domestic gardens form a large proportion of UK urban areas (up to 30%!) so what we grow in them and how we manage them can have a significant environmental impact. My research contributes to the understanding what structural and functional traits plants need to provide environmental benefits (like cooling, rainfall capture and air quality improvement) well. In my role as a scientist for the RHS I am able to pass this knowledge on so that our gardeners can make planting choices that not only look and feel good but which benefit the environment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What are the key elements of a sustainable garden? Can any landscaping materials really be considered sustainable and what essentials help to make a small space sustainable? Today’s guest explores how we can all move towards designing and building sustainably and how to adapt your existing garden with sustainability - and the planet - in mind. She believes that thoughtful design creates kindness – to our surroundings, to the wildlife we share our gardens with, and to each other. In this episode, she shares with Arit her belief that we must listen to the land on which we garden – however small that space. Taking time to sit, look around and listen – is there life in the soil, birdsong in the air? And she offers a practical approach to this that everyone can try. She also shares ways to ensure the materials and plants you select for your garden are the kindest for the planet. But above all, she says, your choices must start with the biggest question of all: how do you want to live? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Could you garden without an outdoor tap – and keep your plants healthy and thriving? That’s the challenge set by today’s podcast guest – as she shares HOW we need to all learn to live without water always on demand. In the UK one of the topics we talk about the most is the weather – and we feel like we get our fair share of rain. But our rainfall patterns are changing, bringing either a heavy deluge that we can’t cope with, or a struggle with drought. But what we do expect is water to pour from our outdoor taps whenever we need it. With global water shortages and demands, is it time to rethink our reliance on this increasingly precious resource? Our guest in this episode thinks so – Janet Manning is a water expert, scientist and experienced gardener who has answers that could challenge us all… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Diversity is a hot topic for us all right now – as we figure out how to create a more diverse society for 21st century living. And it’s clear, says today’s guest, that diversity also holds the key to how we should garden in the future – because diversity lies at the heart of the healthiest plant communities. Professor Nigel Dunnett has been studying plants and creating landscapes for decades and is convinced that the future of gardening is not just about us working with nature, rather than against it, but that observation of the plant world points the way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

a healthy garden starts with healthy soil, so we explore how to mimic nature in creating the best conditions, with Professor Duncan Cameron – a world expert in plant and soil biology, who lifts the lid on the mysterious world under our feet Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From cutting air miles to boosting biodiversity and soil health, nurturing our own fruit and veg garden gives us so much more than just a tasty harvest – so we talk to food policy guru Professor Tim Lang, who’s also a gardener, President of Garden Organic and a one-time hill farmer, and has experienced food growing from all sides. He’s passionate about the contribution gardeners can make to a better future for food, our soil and our health. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Spending time gardening or enjoying others’ gardens opens our eyes to the environment around us and the realities of climate change. But can individuals make a difference by gardening more sustainably, when the solutions seem so huge? In this new podcast series, we’ll be talking to the experts in planet-friendly gardening, to share practical solutions that anyone can try and reveal how to make a genuine impact when we all act together. From growing food and pollution-busting plants at our back door, or finding alternatives to tap water, peat and plastics, tune into the podcast series to hear us reveal how even small steps can bring big results. None of us can do everything, but all of us can do something. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gardener, author and You Tube content creator, Huw Richards reveals how small space veg growing doesn’t need to be restrictive. He shares how to get around the challenges of growing in a tight space as well as some of the opportunities it offers. He shares which plants will do best, how to make you own feed, as well as some less traditional approaches to gardening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Frances Tophill, Gardeners’ World presenter and horticulturist, is passionate about growing delicious vegetables and herbs in an organic, sustainable way, but that also saves her time and produces maximum harvests. Alongside the everyday varieties, she also grows unusual and perennial vegetables for easy results – and even makes the most of the weeds that grow on her plot. Whether you’re taking on an allotment, or just have a few pots at home, you’ll discover her advice on how to make your own organic plant feed, deal with pests and diseases, manage your time if you can’t tend the plot daily – and all you need to know to achieve success with veg, growing in a modern, sustainable way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

JJ Chalmers, former Royal Marine, multi-medal-winning Invictus Games athlete and Strictly Come Dancing contestant, reveals how gardening has been part of his healing process after life-changing injuries, suffered while on patrol in Afghanistan in 2011. He shares how it helps him and his family connect with nature, how he overcomes physical challenges that are the lasting legacy of his injuries, and why he thinks gardening can benefit us all. JJ discusses the mental health benefits of gardening and how, after working as a teacher in some deprived areas, he’s observed that it could help more young men and women through their own tough times. Above all, he shares the joy that his garden gives him, sharing it with his young family and passing on to them his lifelong love of being outdoors. This podcast touches on mental health issues, so if you are affected by any of the content, you can find good resources to support you at NHS Every Mind Matters (www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/). And you can contact the Samaritans on 0116 123 for free in the UK, or visit www.samaritans.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A traditional Christmas door wreath is just the thing to give visitors a hearty festive welcome. And even better if it’s homemade with materials foraged from the garden – it’s the perfect way to keep costs down, while making something totally individual to you. Hello, I’m Kevin and I’m joined by florist and gardener, Shilpa Reddy. Shilpa created the beautiful Christmas wreath that features on the front cover of our December issue, and we’re going to recreate it in the studio right now as we record this podcast. Apparently it’s simple and easy enough for even me to have a go at Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can we boost our immune systems and wellbeing through gardening? We hear from TV medic Michael Mosley how gardeners can benefit their health every time we’re in the garden Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you create a wildlife garden? Fergus Garrett takes me on a walk around Great Dixter, where we discuss the habitats he and his team have created to help wild species. As we walk around the gardens he points out various habitats that work for different species, including the pond in the Barn Garden where great crested live, the wonderful meadows home to rare orchids and even rarer long-horned bees, and the giant piles of garden waste that serve as nesting and hibernation habitats for all sorts of species, from birds to hedgehogs to snakes. We discuss the trials and tribulations of wildlife gardening, what it means as a wildlife gardener to open your garden to the public, and how we can all take a piece of Great Dixter home with us, and recreate these habitats in our own spaces. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trevor Nelson MBE, BBC Radio 2 DJ reveals how he unsuspectingly became a gardener. He shares his first steps in the gardening world and advice for those looking into getting started themselves. He explains how a garden can be designed for wildlife, as well as entertaining family and friends – plus why short of a holiday (or playing golf), he wouldn’t now want to be anywhere else. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What’s the secret to success with veg growing? Monty Don shares his tips for great tasting, healthy fruit and veg – and why your best-ever veg year starts not in the new year, but here in autumn. With just a little planning, you can look forward to year-round fresh and healthy harvests We caught up with Monty as he was in peak harvest season at Longmeadow – and heard how his veg plot is at the heart of family cooking. He shares why growing food gives him so much pleasure, the tricks he uses to ensure a steady flow of harvests, and why his sowing choices start at the kitchen table. He also reveals why things still go wrong on his plot – and how learning from mistakes rather than striving for perfection are often the best way to improve your veg growing, and tackles the common mistakes that most beginner gardeners make when starting out growing veg. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hilton Carter – author, interior stylist, house plant expert and Instagram star reveals what you need to know to start a house plant collection or take your’s to the next level. He shares the fundamentals of plant care alongside some styling tips to make your house a calmer, greener home. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alan Titchmarsh reflects on gardening as a child, how it shaped his life to come and the impact it’s had on his own children and grandchildren. Discover why he believes all children should be given the chance to connect with the natural world – even if that is just a small patch outside a back door – and why it’s the responsibility of schools and parents to make gardening exciting for our young people Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Comedian Joe Lycett explains his less conventional view of the plant world, what about it makes him laugh, plus his own recipe for perfect compost. He shares recipes for easy to grow veg, gardening tips, and how both he and you can get growing from scratch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We visit Gardeners’ World presenter, Adam Frost, at home to take a private tour of his garden. Soak up the atmosphere as he guides Kevin Smith around the place we’ve become so used to seeing on TV and in BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine. From the veg and gravel gardens to the woodland, meadow and more… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you looking for ways to get your gardening fixed this autumn? Don't miss the BBC Garden as World magazine podcast. Perfect for everyone who's got the gardening bug. We'll be sharing lively conversation and expert tips as we explore all things gardening from simple ways to benefit your health as your garden to the wildlife that's visiting your plot. So join us on the podcast as we help you tune into gardening and discover the power of nature at your back door. Subscribe now on iTunes, Spotify or Acast to never miss an episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can any one of us really make a difference in a world where climate change is reaching into every part of our lives? Arit Anderson, designer and Gardeners' World presenter, passionately believes that sustainable gardening is a force for good – and that if each of gardens with the planet in mind, we can change the world for the better Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What’s the secret to making a beautiful garden? How do you turn the patch at your backdoor into a space that’s not just a collection of plants but one that suits your personality – and makes you happy? Alan Titchmarsh, who’s made more gardens than most from his time as presenter of Gardeners’ World, Groundforce and Love Your Garden, reveals the steps that everyone can take to turn dreams into reality. Discover the key steps he always takes when creating a garden, however small, plus how to know when it’s time for change, and the mistakes he’s made along the way. And through it all, he reveals how he has created his own private sanctuary away from the TV cameras, shared with family and wildlife, where he’s turned a lifetime of ideas into his own piece of paradise Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As millions turn to gardening, to switch off from the pressures of city life and connect with nature, Monty Don reveals why growing organically is the natural choice – for now and the sake of future generations Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Food is at the heart of chef Raymond Blanc's world – and it's never fresher, healthier nor more flavoursome than when grown and picked just moments from the kitchens at his Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons. He recalls his earliest gardening memories – and reveals the secrets to growing for flavour. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices