BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Podcast

Imagine discovering a garden oasis while seeking out world-famous sculptures. This expansive park is famous for the Vigeland Sculpture Park, featuring over 200 of Gustav Vigeland’s works. Frogner Park has expansive lawns, majestic oaks, maples and lindens and seasonal flower beds. The garden layout invites leisurely wandering, with benches for relaxation and offers plenty of inspiration, blending formal garden elements with naturalistic plantings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tony Kirkham, a renowned British botanist and former Head of Arboretum at Kew Gardens, dives into the pivotal role trees play amid climate change. He shares insights on how trees are adapting globally and discusses the emotional connections we have with them. The conversation highlights the importance of tree diversity in combatting pests and diseases, while emphasizing careful planting strategies to ensure their survival. Listeners can also learn about seed conservation and the personal experiences that inspire tree preservation efforts.

Fungi are some of the most important organisms in our gardens, partnering with plant roots to help them access nutrients, processing dead material and nurturing countless vital processes – but most of the time they are completely invisible to the naked eye. In this episode we meet fungi expert and author of the bestselling book Entangled Life, Merlin Sheldrake, to find out more about these extraordinary organisms.Do you have a gardening question you'd like Alan Titchmarsh's help with? Submit your question in the comments below or go to www.gardenersworld.com/podcast/questions/ Alan will answer a selection in the Ask Alan podcast series from BBC Gardeners' World Magazine in February and March. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Established in 1863, the gardens cover 21 hectares and feature a diverse collection of plants from around the world. As well as a Rose Garden and Herb Garden, the botanic garden is home to majestic trees, including the giant sequoia. Standing beneath these giants is a humbling experience. The New Zealand Garden showcases native flora like the silver fern and Pohutukawa tree, creating lush, natural landscape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Christopher Hart, an expert and author of "Hedgelands, A Wild Wonder Around Britain’s Greatest Habitat," dives into the fascinating world of hedgerows. He reveals their crucial role in biodiversity and wildlife habitats, highlighting their historical decline from 700,000 kilometers to 400,000 due to farming. Hart discusses the ecological benefits of dead hedges and shares insights on traditional hedge laying, emphasizing native plants' importance in gardens. He also shares tips on selecting and managing diverse hedge plants for both beauty and ecological balance.

For years, gardeners have been told to provide supplementary food for garden birds. Reasons for this include helping to compensate for a lack of food during a hard winter, increase competition for food at fledging time, and help to get adults into good breeding condition in spring. But is feeding birds all it's cracked up to be? And if not, how else can we support our feathered friends? Join award-winning author and wildlife gardening expert Kate Bradbury as she talks to naturalist, conservationist and author, Nick Atchison. Do you have a gardening question you'd like Alan Titchmarsh's help with? Submit your question in the comments below or go to www.gardenersworld.com/podcast/questions/ Alan will answer a selection in the Ask Alan podcast series from BBC Gardeners' World Magazine in February and March. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The anticipation builds as you approach Oedo Botanica – a botanical garden island. It’s like stepping into a different world—seriously, it’s that beautiful. Oedo Botanica feels like it’s been plucked straight out of a fairytale and the story behind it is just as enchanting. Oedo Island is apopular tourist destination, requiring a boat ride, over 10,000 visitors arrive daily, amazed by this human-made miracle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The death of someone we love can be devastating. Leaving us grieving and feeling that life will never be the same again. When she was 7 months pregnant, Victoria Bennet lost her sister, suddenly. For her, building and tending a garden, was an act of hope that helped her during some of the darkest times of her bereavement. She talks about how gardening helped her manage her grief and anxiety and what she learnt about gardening and our resilience in the face of seemingly overwhelming challenges. Do you have a gardening question you'd like Alan Titchmarsh's help with? Submit your question in the comments below or go to www.gardenersworld.com/podcast/questions/ Alan will answer a selection in the Ask Alan podcast series from BBC Gardeners' World Magazine in February and March. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why do gardens need compost? What exactly is compost and what are the benefits compost brings to our gardening spaces? Charles Dowdling, gardener, author and champion of the modern 'no dig' gardening method, brings ways you can transfer your garden through the use of compost.Do you have a gardening question you'd like Alan Titchmarsh's help with? Submit your question in the comments below or go to www.gardenersworld.com/podcast/questions/ Alan will answer a selection in the Ask Alan podcast series from BBC Gardeners' World Magazine in February and March. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kew Gardens, officially known as the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, is a sprawling 326 acre paradise located in southwest London, home to one of the largest and most diverse plant collections in the world. Whether you're marvelling at the glasshouses or enjoying a leisurely picnic with friends, there's always something magical to discover. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices