Gardening with the RHS

This week we’re exploring small but useful nuggets of information that have the potential to change the way we interact with our surroundings this growing season. We’re getting seasonal tips on GYO – things like training and pruning apple trees and preparing allotments for the busiest time of year. And, we’re delving into plant names – and the system behind our classifications.  Presenter: Guy BarterContributors: Andy Lewis, Jenny Laville, James ArmitageContact: podcasts@rhs.org.ukLinks: Apples and pears: winter gardening The Newt in Somerset – an RHS Partner Garden Allotments: getting started RHS Practical Latin for Gardeners Untangling Latin Names

This week, we’re investigating what exactly makes a plant hardy, how tropical plants survive British winters, and the ways in which what thrives here may be changing – especially in urban environments like London. Presenter Gareth Richards and RHS botanist James Armitage take a tour of weird and wacky tender trees that have survived here against all odds. And, Hillary Collins of Grafton Nursery gives us a behind the scenes look at what you can do to help your eucalyptus withstand British winters.Presenter: Gareth RichardsContributors: James Armitage and Hilary CollinsContact: podcasts@rhs.org.ukLinks:Mediterranean garden plantsRHS hardiness ratingsHardy Eucalyptus (Grafton Nursery)

This week’s show is all about growing something new. We’re spreading the word about exciting plant species, cultivars, and hybrids from those that love them most. Legendary plantsman Roy Lancaster chats about shrubby honeysuckles, Canadian horticulturist Grahame Ware makes the case for a curious genus called Syneilesis, and Wisley horticulturist Jack Aldridge shares the stories behind flowering dogwood hybrids.All the stories in this show are based on articles from the March issue of The Plant Review. You can find information on how to subscribe here.Presenters: Gareth Richards & James ArmitageContributors: Roy Lancaster, Grahame Ware, and Jack AldridgeLinks:Shrubby honeysuckleFlowering dogwood

For this week’s show, we take a behind the scenes look at the ways spring is fighting its way into the picture at RHS Garden Wisley. We go behind the scenes at the Alpine Display House, we get a masterclass on pruning wisteria, and we dive into the life and work of the eccentric and influential horticulturist Ellen Willmott – and explore a theory for why she may have missed her Victoria Medal of Honour ceremony. Presenter: Guy BarterContributors: Alex Hankey, Matthew Pottage, Suzanne MossLinks:Visiting WisleyNarcissus bulbocodium How to get wonderful Wisteria: Buying, planting, pruning and care tips“Gardens have provided solace, opportunity and inspiration for LGBTQ+ people”Miss Willmott’s Ghosts: the extraordinary life and gardens of a forgotten genius

In this week’s show, we’re zeroing in on how to stretch the money we spend on our gardens as far as possible. We hear from gardening influencer Anya Lautenbach - aka Anya the Garden Fairy – on her money-saving tips. We explore the science behind cuttings with botanist and editor James Armitage. And we take an inside look at the RHS apprenticeship programme.Presenter: Guy BarterContributors: Anya Lautenbach, James Armitage, Sheila Das, Rory DoyleLinks:The Money-Saving GardenerPropagation techniquesNew ShootsRHS Apprenticeships

This week’s show is all about cultivating change – whether in your own garden, in your local neighbourhood, or in a magical National Trust property. We’re chatting guerrilla gardening with Ellen Miles, getting top tips from Wisley advisors, and taking a look at all the work that goes into maintaining the laburnum arch at Bodnant Garden (one of our most beloved partner gardens!) Presenter: Guy Barter Contributors: Ellen Miles, James Lawrence, Becky Mealey, Michaela Freed, and Lucy Bidgood Links: Guerrilla gardening and reclaiming urban spaces Get Guerrilla Gardening Nature is a Human Right The Laburnum Arch at Bodnant Garden Horticulture Careers Discovery Week Diploma in Horticulture Practice

As gardeners, we all have plants we love to hate – think aucubas or heathers. And in winter, especially, it seems that these common but unpopular plants play a really important role in our gardens, adding structure, berries, or cheery variegated leaves when we need it most. So today, we’re addressing the overlooked. We’re giving mahonias a well-deserved second chance. We’re revisiting houseplants, which may or may be looking worse for wear after the chaotic holiday season. And finally, we’re taking a look at the work The Glasshouse, a nursery in Kent, does to give women in prison a fresh start. Presenter: Gareth RichardsContributors: Jack Aldridge, Tony Le-Britton, The Glasshouse TeamContact us at podcasts@rhs.org.ukLinks:MahoniaNot Another Jungle: Comprehensive Care for Extraordinary HouseplantsGrowing hope and houseplants in prisonThe Glasshouse

We’re past the solstice, so it’s time to both revel in the present and prepare for what's to come as the days get longer and warmer. So, in this week’s show, we’re doing exactly that, taking note of winter wins – like winter-flowering camellias and snowdrops– and addressing RHS members’ questions as we look ahead to the growing season to come. Presenter: Guy BarterContributors: Jack Aldridge, Naomi Slade, James Lawrence, Becky Mealey, Michaela Freed Links: Autumn and winter-flowering camellias RHS The Winter Garden  Wisteria: pruning Snowdrops

To start off the new year right, we decided to begin with a practical and sustainable guide on what you can get up to outdoors this year – it’s what we’re calling a sustainability health check for the garden. We’ll be chatting about the state of play on peat-free growing, hearing from a range of RHS experts for some top garden sustainability tips, and exploring the future of grow-your-own in our ever-changing climate. Links: Peat-free gardening Peat- free nurseries 10 ways to be more sustainable in your garden Edible: 70 Sustainable Plants That Are Changing How We Eat

For our final episode of 2023, we’re taking a look back at some of our favourite moments on the podcast and across the RHS from the year, exploring emerging trends, new beginnings, and time-honoured advice. Stay tuned for highlights from Director General Clare Matterson, Head of Editorial Tom Howard, Head of Libraries and Exhibitions Fiona Davison, and more. Presenters: Gareth Richards & Guy BarterContributors: Clare Matterson, Tom Howard, Fiona Davison, Jenny Laville, and Jenny BowdenLinks:Rewilding Small SpacesThe Winter GardenMaximising Minimal Space