Gardening with the RHS

Royal Horticultural Society
undefined
Sep 2, 2021 • 26min

Autumn advice special

How do you get the best displays of autumn colour in your garden? Which flowers can you sow now for extra early displays next year? Are there any crops you can sow in September for late autumn harvests? Tune in for answers to these questions and many more in this a bumper edition of seasonal gardening advice from RHS experts. Plus Wisley horticulturist Alex Young shares tips on propagating houseplants.   Useful links: ►Find out more about growing trees and shrubs  ►Houseplants ►Sowing hardy annual flowers in autumn ►Grow your own fruit and veg Plants mentioned: Hydrangea quercifolia, Abelia grandiflora, Ceanothus 'Autumnal Blue', Gingko biloba, Sorbus 'Josph Rock', Parrotia persica 'Persian Spire', jewel orchids (Ludisia discolor and Macodes sanderianus), hardy annuals (Calendula officinalis, Nigella damascena, Cerinthe major), yellow rattle (Rhinanthus major/minor) - see RHS Find a plant for suppliers and more details Whitefly study details: please contact mia.graham@stir.ac.uk
undefined
Aug 26, 2021 • 31min

Grasses special

This week we're going wild for some of the daintiest, most airy and graceful plants out there - ornamental grasses. Author and RHS Editor Gareth Richards shares his favourites and offers tips on how to use them in the garden. Eminent expert and nurseryman Neil Lucas takes us on a tour of one of the best grass gardens in the country, Knoll Gardens in Dorset. Plus growing tips from RHS Gardening Advisor Nicky Barker, and we delve into the undergrowth to meet some grass-loving creatures - conehead crickets - with Brian Eversham of The Wildlife Trusts. In our houseplant series, Wisley Horticulturist Alex Young tackles repotting. **Plants mentioned** Grasses: Deschampsia, Hakonechloa macra, Calamagrostis, Pennisetum, Arundo donax, Carex oshimensis Evercolor Series, Molinia, Stipa gigantea, Panicum, Miscanthus, Festuca glauca, Poa, Sporolobus, Miscanthus 'Cindy' & 'Starlight', Miscanthus giganteus; Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra', Milium effusum 'Aureaum', Festuca 'Elijah Blue' Perennials: Rudbeckia, Echinacea, Verbena bonariensis, Aconitum, Scabiosa, wild carrot (Daucus carota) Find plant suppliers: rhs.org.uk/findaplant Discover grasses: rhs.org.uk/plants/types/grasses knollgardens.co.uk
undefined
Aug 19, 2021 • 25min

Growing escapades and more

We talk to Lucy Jones and Kenneth Greenway, authors of 'The Nature Seed – How to Raise Adventurous and Nurturing Kids' about ideas for how to engage your children in outdoor activities this summer. Author Abra Lee tells the story of Booker T. Washington, a leading African-American educator who brought horticultural learning opportunities to disenfranchised communities in the South in the late 19th century. Plus a look at picking the right houseplant with RHS Wisley's Alex Young and a guide on drying flowers at home with Raymond Gordon.
undefined
Aug 12, 2021 • 23min

Climbers special

This week we’re clambering for climbing plants, wading through wisteria and going eye-to-eye with one of the most contentious wall-huggers of the lot: ivy. Featuring barrow-loads of expert RHS advice on how to keep your climbers happy and full of flowers, plus tips on how to use them in your garden. Featuring Matt Pottage (Curator of RHS Garden Wisley), garden designer Flo Headlam, RHS Gardening Advisor Becky Mealey and author Gareth Richards. **Plants mentioned** - Cobaea scandens - Ipomoea 'Heavenly Blue' - Lablab purpurea 'Ruby Moon'
undefined
Aug 5, 2021 • 24min

Allotment extravaganza!

This week we're all about growing your own fruit and veg in a programme dedicated to allotments and the green-fingered people who tend them. We meet the 'Veg King', retired fisherman Gerald Stratford (@GeraldStrafor3) – who became an overnight internet sensation, bringing giant veg growing to the attention of a worldwide audience and even starring in a fashion campaign by Gucci. Allotmenteer and YouTuber Mothin Ali (My Family Garden) shares top tips on growing potatoes while Kirsty Ward (@my_litttle_allotment) gives advice on engaging children with gardening. Plus RHS Garden Wisley's resident fruit guru Jim Arbury offers expert advice on choosing an apple tree for your garden.
undefined
Jul 29, 2021 • 27min

Roses and other thorny issues

Enjoy a tour around RHS Garden Wisley’s Bowes-Lyon Rose Garden with its 4,500 roses and find out how to keep yours blooming until autumn. We discover how this iconic plant became the favourite (and least loved) flower among the British with historian Simon Morley, then author Gareth Richards sings the praises of a rose relative, the bramble, ‘nature’s frontline defender against man’. Finally, find out about the pest-busting wasp you definitely need in your garden this summer.
undefined
Jul 22, 2021 • 25min

RHS Flower Show Tatton Park 2021

This week we're at the glorious Tatton Park in Cheshire, for a floral extravaganza like no other. From a rewilded garden taking inspiration from the wider Tatton Estate to beautifully designed small urban spaces full of clever ideas to save water, there's something for everyone. Plus top culinary tips from chef Sophie Gordon and food writer Mark Diacono who share ideas for homegrown feasts, full of unusual flavours.
undefined
Jul 15, 2021 • 23min

Giant leaves and tiny trees

From lush and leafy banana plants to the delicate charms of the tiniest trees of all, this week's show is all about planting with a difference. We explore the weird, wild and wonderful Exotic Garden at Wisley, which is packed full of tropical-looking plants and ideas to steal for your own backyard paradise. Tayshan Hayden-Smith, footballer and founder of the non-profit Grow2Know tells the story of how he came to discover and love what's probably the most dramatic plant you can grow outdoors in Britain. And if you've ever wished you could grow a tree but don't have the space, think again, as we take a look at bonsai with RHS expert Peter Goodchild.
undefined
Jul 8, 2021 • 29min

RHS Flower Shows are back!

The RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival returns for 2021. And what a return it is! From world-class garden design talent to new ways of growing cabbages, there's something for everyone. We explore the show's no-dig gardens, community allotments and experience some lively debates between horticultural experts in the talks theatre. Plus an interview with a cut-flower grower who overcame multiple tragedies in 2020 to bring a heartwarming and colourful garden to this year's show.
undefined
Jul 1, 2021 • 27min

Art and the garden

This week we’re exploring the relationship between art and gardens. Including an interview with award-winning designer Sarah Price who shares her experience of using art to inspire her RHS Chelsea gold medal winning gardens, and we visit a new David Hockney exhibition celebrating the arrival of spring in his garden in France. Plus plant-loving Instagrammers discuss how social media affects the way we garden and Curator of RHS Garden Wisley, Matthew Pottage, shares tips how to use sculpture in your home plot.

The AI-powered Podcast Player

Save insights by tapping your headphones, chat with episodes, discover the best highlights - and more!
App store bannerPlay store banner
Get the app