Loving Your Garden - Better Gardening Podcast
This gardening podcast accompanies the 'Loving Your Garden' Facebook group, which was started by broadcaster Rod Whiting during the first COVID-19 lockdown in April 2020. The group has grown to nearly 450,000 members who share a passion for gardening. Each week, the podcast discusses seasonal gardening tasks, plant suggestions, and answers listeners' questions, drawing on the expertise of member John Stirland, who has over fifty years of horticultural experience. Listeners are encouraged to join the Facebook group and contribute their ideas and questions.
Episodes
Adapting Your Garden for a Changing Climate - With Alison Marsden
Hotter summers, wetter winters and increasingly unpredictable weather are changing the way we garden. So how should we adapt?Horticulturist Alison Marsden, who divides her time between Britain and a Mediterranean garden in France, joins Rod Whiting and resident expert John Stirland to explore practical ways of making our gardens more resilient. They discuss healthier soils, smarter planting, water
The Productive Summer Garden: Growing More Food with Stephanie Hafferty
Food prices may be rising, but growing your own needn’t be difficult.In this episode of the Loving Your Garden podcast, Rod Whiting and horticulturist John Stirland are joined by kitchen gardener and food writer Stephanie Hafferty, author of The Productive Garden.Stephanie shares her advice on getting started with growing your own food, the easiest crops for beginners, why mistakes are part of the
Dahlias Made Simple: Growing, Feeding, Cutting and Storing with Kim O'Brien
Dahlias are bold, flamboyant, sometimes slightly outrageous - and one of the great stars of the late summer garden.But they can also feel a little intimidating. When do you plant them? Which varieties are easiest to grow? Do you have to lift the tubers every winter? How do you support them, feed them, protect them from pests, and keep them flowering into autumn?In this episode, Rod Whiting is join
A Journey through a Garden Designer’s Own Garden – with David Stevens
Take a walk through the personal garden of multi-award-winning designer David Stevens.In this episode of Loving Your Garden, I’m joined by Boom Radio’s gardening expert John Stirland as we explore multi-award-winning designer David Stevens' own 100-foot suburban garden — a space full of ideas, inspiration, and practical lessons for gardeners of all levels.From clever use of space and planting
Before You Plant Anything This Spring...
...Be sure to listen to this relaxed conversation with two fabulous gardeners: my co-host, John Stirland — Boom Radio’s gardening expert — and horticulturist, broadcaster and RHS judge, Martin Fish.It was a real pleasure to reunite this former BBC TV gardening double-act and spend half an hour chatting about Spring gardening in Martin’s Lincolnshire spread, with the birds providing the background
What Experienced Gardeners Wish They'd Known Sooner With David Stevens
In this special seasonal edition of the Loving Your Garden podcast, John Stirland and I sit down to reflect on the gardening year just gone – and look ahead to what comes next.As is customary at Christmas, we're joined by the renowned garden designer David Stevens (22 Chelsea medals, including 11 Golds) for a relaxed, thoughtful conversation about how gardens evolve over time – through trial
Growing Wildflowers The Easy Way - With Dr Ana Attlee
Struggling to get wildflowers growing in your garden? You’re not alone! 🌿Gardeners are often surprised at how challenging it can be to grow wildflowers successfully, so we've been chatting to Dr Ana Attlee, co-founder of Seedball, to find a simpler solution to creating a haven for wildlife.In this podcast, horticulturist and broadcaster John Stirland joins Loving Your Garden Founder Rod Whiti
Summer's Done - Autumn's Here Early!
It's been an interesting Summer! It started with drought, then the rains came, and as the nights begin to draw in, it's turned unseasonably cool. Signs of Autumn are already showing, certainly in my East Midlands garden (UK). After a relatively quiet spell, the transition to Autumn is a busy time for gardeners and our resident horticulturist, John Stirland, suggests some jobs to consider
Hot Tips for Cool Gardens - With Multi-Award Winning Designer David Stevens
As the sun turns up the heat, so do the challenges in our gardens. In this summer edition of the Loving Your Garden podcast, I’m joined by our resident horticulturist John Stirland and award-winning garden designer David Stevens for a lively and practical chat about gardening through the warmer months.We explore clever ways to keep your plants happy during hot, dry spells, how to water wisely, and
Lush Lawns & Palm Trees - In Cheshire! With Steve Fives
This might just be our best episode yet from LYG HQ!Steve Fives is officially Loving Your Garden’s most engaging member – with more views, comments, and conversations than anyone else in the group… including me, and I run the place!Steve’s garden is something you have to see to believe, so if you’d rather watch this episode, head over to our YouTube channel: Watch on YouTubeBut don’t go just yet –
Spring Into Action: Gardening Tips with John Stirland & Martin Fish (Pt 2)
With UK gardens bursting into colour, this is a beautiful time of year — but it’s also a busy time, preparing the garden for the seasons ahead.In the second half of our conversation with Gardener and Broadcaster Martin Fish and our own John Stirland, we cover:Pest control, notably slugs and snailsGrowing your own foodContainer gardeningGetting the best from rosesEffective wateringPeat-free compost
Spring Into Action: Gardening Tips with John Stirland & Martin Fish (Pt 1)
The new gardening year is well underway, and our Loving Your Garden Facebook group is bursting with colourful spring blooms and a real sense of excitement as our gardens awaken from their winter slumber.So, what better time to get stuck into those all-important early-season jobs? To help us on our way, we’ve called on two seasoned pros — our resident horticulturist John Stirland and his long-time
Growing Cut Flowers With Roz Chandler
If you've resolved to growing more cut flowers in '25 then you'll find Roz Chandler from Field Gate Flowers an interesting guest. Roz talks about starting her cut flower farm 15 years ago almost by mistake and now runs a successful business growing, displaying and teaching floral horticulture. She has some useful tips for starting a cut flower garden and we also get around to discus
Better Gardening tips in 2025...With Two Badly Disguised Santas
It's become a thing for multi-award-winning garden designer David Stevens to drop in over Christmas with our resident horticulturist John Stirland over a glass of sherry for a gardening chinwag. The result is always educational as these two stalwarts trade wisdom and a few laughs. The wisdom includes suggestions for Winter interest in an all-year-round garden, some garden design tips, a disc
Eight Steps To Your Dream Garden With David Stevens
11 Times RHS Chelsea Gold Medallist (and LYG member), David Stevens, has designed a few gardens in his long career (understatement). Enough to earn him 26 RHS medals and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Garden Designers. In this short video (link below), David outlines 8 key steps to consider before embarking on a garden makeover that will save you time, effort, and tears. He finis
Is Bamboo REALLY The Plant From Hell?
Recent press reports would have you believe Bamboo is the devil incarnate but does it deserve its bad reputation? While it's certainly true some varieties can be highly destructive, are gardeners right to shun it at all costs?Who better to ask than Tony Churley who's been growing varieties of Bamboo for the best part of forty years? Both John Stirland and I have had bad experiences with
John Stirland On Why Those New Plants May Not Be Thriving, Plus What The National Garden Scheme Can Do For You
Firstly, apologies for our silence over the past few weeks, we've been busy creating a brand new YouTube channel and subscription newsletter (links below) as well as overhauling our Facebook group to accommodate the massive new growth of 'Loving Your Garden' - now 378 thousand members.Now that we're back into the routine we've re-commenced series 4 with a gardening clinic
The Secrets And Pleasures of Herbaceous Perennials With Rosy Hardy
It's always a pleasure and a privilege to be in the company of one of the UK's foremost plantswomen, Rosy Hardy. With countless RHS gold medals to her name, Rosy has become a leading authority on Herbaceous Perennials and this is pure gold for any gardener that is looking for a new dimension to their garden. If you're in a rush, go to our chapter page and choose your topic of inter
No Wildlife, No Garden With Mary Porter
It’s always a pleasure to welcome our favourite Nature Watcher Mary Porter onto LYG. Spring in the UK is a great time for an update from Mary whose knowledge and experience of the natural world is much appreciated by all of us at LYG and to listeners of her regular spot on my Boom Radio show. This is a lovely chat about the current state of our wildlife and how we can encourage more creatures into
Ugly Lawns No More With This Prep Plus Removing Troublesome Tree Stumps
In association with Magic Mind - Mental Performance Shots They have a limited offer you can use now, that gets you up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one-time purchases with code LOVEGARDEN20 at checkoutYou can claim it at: https://www.magicmind.com/lovegarden We have a double bonus for you in our latest episode with John Stirland laying out some solid tips for getting your lawn in
Growing From Seed With Tom Sharples
There is nothing so satisfying than adding food to your dinner plate that you've grown from seed. While many gardeners are well-equipped to sow and propagate both vegetables and ornamentals, most others prefer the convenience of potted and plug plants. However, with the costs of plants and food now a significant factor, growing from seed is an attractive option. Tom Sharples has devoted alm
Late Winter Pruning With John Stirland
Deep Joy! Winter's last hurrah is nearly upon us, at least if you're in Northern Europe, and it's time to finish off the Winter pruning. Our resident horticulturist John Stirland covers the basics and answers member questions on specific plants including Philadelphus, Fig, Ceonothus, Honeysuckle, and roses. As ever, John covers a lot of ground with lots of snippets of really useful
It's Seed Sowing Time!
Our resident horticulturist John Stirland kicks off season 4 of Loving Your Garden - Better Gardening Podcast with a masterclass in seed sowing. John is in full flow here with oodles of great advice on growing plants from seed as a new gardening year gets underway. John also takes questions from our LYG site members. It's best to sit back and enjoy the full episode but if you're tight
Three Top Gardeners Drop In For A Festive Chat
You'll need to check out the Loving Your Garden site to see our festive guests in their Santa gear but you can hear the fun in our season finale as horticulturist, gardening writer, broadcaster and RHS judge, Martin Fish, and multi-award-winning garden designer, David Stevens join John Stirland and LYG founder Rod Whiting for an end of season chat over a tipple or two.Have a pen and paper han
Growing Happy Healthy Houseplants with Jane Perrone
We borrowed our guest's phrase 'happy, healthy house plants' this week as it aptly describes a nirvana that many of us struggle with. Jane Perrone is a gardening writer and podcaster whose articles many will have read in the Guardian, Financial Times, and The RHS Garden Magazine among many publications. Jane's passion for houseplants shines through in our chat this week, deal
John Stirland's Autumn Almanac (With Apologies To The Kinks!)
It's been a while since we checked in with our resident horticulturist John Stirland who's forgotten more than I'll ever know about gardening so it's nice to talk about getting ready for some Winter colour, Autumn feeding, and pruning as well as lots of other topical chat, and answers to member questions that you'll doubtless find useful.Check out the chapter tab if you w
Making Sense of Peat Free
There's been a noticeable increase in discussions on the LYG Facebook site about the forthcoming ban on the use of peat products in UK gardens, due to be enforced from the end of next year. To help us make sense of it all, our guests this week are Jonathan Whittemore from Johnsons of Whixley, a Yorkshire-based plant wholesaler, and Ruth Goudy, garden writer and owner of Kiln Farm Nursery and
Autumn Splendour With Rosie Hardy
It is a delight to have Rosy back to chat about what can, with the right planting, be a spectacular time of year in the garden. Rosie and her husband Rob supply a vast number of herbaceous perennials from their nurseries at Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants in Hampshire, UK https://www.hardysplants.co.uk/. Rosie is also a multi-award winning plantswoman and currently Vice-President of the RHS.We talk
Late Summer Revival With John Stirland
Our Gardening maestro John Stirland is in great form as we consider plants that will add a little lustre to a flagging garden at this time of year. Flowers, shrubs, and trees all feature in our suggestions for adding some late seasonal interest, so it's worth having a pen and paper to hand as we go. Just a heads-up that we'll get another perspective on Autumn colour with an old friend of
A Summer Catch-up With Three Gardening Stars Plus The Latest On The UK Peat Ban and A Look At Composite Decking
It's not every day you get to chat with one of the UK's top plantswomen, a renowned garden designer and the Gandalf of gardening but that was my pleasure when Rosy Hardy, David Stevens and John Stirland all gathered by Rosy's plant stand at the Belvoir Castle Flower and Garden Show. It was a delightful conversation about Summer gardens that I'm sure you'll find informativ
A Good Year For The Roses!
Everybody says it's been a great year for so many plants but especially roses so it's a good time to dwell on the ubiquitous rose: conditions, care, suggested varieties, and member questions answered by LYG's resident horticulturist John Stirland. We do discuss a couple of varieties so I've attached a link to pics of the roses we discuss but, frankly, there are so many varietie
Here Comes Summer!
By now, the heavy work is likely done and we can start finessing, ready to relax and enjoy our gardens. If only! Of course, there's always something to be getting on with and, this week, we look at pruning and pest control. Meanwhile, John answers a variety of member questions that commonly arise at this time of the year.You'll find a host of experienced gardeners on our LYG Facebook s
Attracting Wildlife To Your Garden With Mary Porter
As gardeners, we're closer than most to nature and we have a good understanding of the role we play in attracting wildlife into our neighbourhoods. But, with many species in a progressive decline over recent decades, that responsibility becomes ever more critical. Mary Porter has dedicated much of her life to wildlife promotion and protection and we're delighted to have her as a guest to
Landscaping - The foundation of any great garden with Jan Prodger
We put so much effort into finding the right plants for our garden, we sometimes miss the bigger picture of creating the right framework for all those expensive trees, shrubs, and flowers. The cost of good quality landscaping can be offputting but, like any good investment, it can pay off many times over. Our chat with professional garden landscaper Jan Prodger from Ace of Spades Garden Maintenan
Getting the Best From Herbaceous Perennials with Rosy Hardy
There are few better qualified to talk about herbaceous perennials than 24-time Chelsea gold medal winner Rosy Hardy from Hardy's Cottage Garden Plants and we're delighted to have the benefit of her knowledge once again to discuss this garden essential.We talk about seed sowing, plant breeding, and popular plant choices for '23. We also discuss how to use herbaceous plants effective
All Year Garden Design With Professor David Stevens
Step away from the Garden Centre! Well, just for a moment as multi-award-winning garden designer and LYG member David Stevens gives you some valuable tips on using colour, texture, and shape of both foliage and flowers to keep your garden looking its best all through the year, including Winter.Once again David is a rich source of knowledge as he joins resident horticulturist John Stirland and LYG
Winter's Last Hurrah! Spring Preparation With John Stirland
It's not terribly inviting outside, where I am at least, with snow falling and low temperatures set for the next few days. However, that hasn't stopped me from planting a good size Amelanchier Lamarckii and having a wee tidy up of some borders. This is the thing about March and whatever the weather might throw at us, gardeners gotta garden!And that's the theme of this week's p
Vegetable and Herb Gardening In Containers With Maggie Stuckey
Given reported supermarket shortages of fresh salad and veg plus exorbitant prices, there's never been a better time to consider growing your own, if you don't already.Our guest this week is an American garden writer who grew up on a farm in the Deep South of the US and has written many books about growing your own veg - Maggie Stuckey.Maggie and our own John Stirland are of like minds a
All Set For A Successful Gardening Year!
All gardeners know how good it feels at the start of a new gardening year, especially for UK gardeners coming out of Winter. To start off Season 3 of our LYG podcast, horticulturist John Stirland has some timely tips for jobs we can be doing including Winter pruning, transposing deciduous plants, and seed sowing, as well as answering member questions.Just a heads-up, LYG Live is now broadcast on
Hints & Tips On Using Colour In Your Garden With David Stevens
It's always a pleasure to spend time with multi-award-winning garden designer and LYG member Professor David Stevens who rounds off series 2 of our podcast with some great tips on using colour to enhance your garden. As ever with David, there's always much more for the gardener than the headline topic and you'll need your notebook as he talks about colour blending and specific plan
Soil Improvement In The Peat-Free Era with Daniel Suggitt from PlantGrow
I had the pleasure of a tour around Bardney Manor in Lincolnshire recently courtesy of owner Samantha Wright and discovered a pile of lovely rich soil which she'd had delivered ready to start a very ambitious project - more of which later. Anyway, after further investigation, it transpired that the soil was in fact PlantGrow, a soil improver made up entirely of plant matter from a process of
Forty Minutes Of Gold With Houseplant Guru Joe Bagley
If houseplants are your Achilles heel then this will be time well spent as we chat with Joe Bagley from ukhouseplants.com looking at position and light, potting, feeding, and general care tips as well as advice on specific plants including orchids.Joe's website has become internationally recognised with more than three million hits from people seeking out his encyclopedic knowledge of housepl
Getting The Best Out Of Smaller Gardens With Michelle Macdonald
How do you define a smaller garden? That's an interesting question that garden designer Michelle MacDonald herself asked in our wonderful conversation which covered all of the crucial aspects of designing or modifying a small garden, from planning to planting and maintaining.We met Michelle at the Belvoir Castle Flower and Garden Show during that really hot spell in July where she won the bes
More Plants For Winter Interest
Autumn came hard and fast in the UK this year and all hopes of an Indian Summer have fizzled out under the rain so it's even more important to give some thought to some Winter colour. John Stirland has some more Winter plant suggestions while the ground is still in good shape for planting out. We look at Violas, Ferns, Festuca Glauca, Hellebores, Winter Aconites, Galanthus Elwesii, Iris Ungu
Great Plants for Winter Interest
Autumn seems to have come at us fast this year. It seems only five minutes since we were sweltering in 40 plus degrees but, here we are in October putting the garden furniture away or under cover and tidying up the garden ready for Winter. However, we need something to encourage us to open the curtains and look outside and John Stirland suggests some trees and shrubs that will put a bit of zing in
Memories of Queen Elizabeth The Gardener With David Stevens, Plus Autumn Jobs
Designer David Stevens recalls his meetings with the late monarch in their regular exchanges at the Chelsea Flower Show and we discuss Autumn jobs including some useful tips on finding those plants we want to move in Winter...but can't remember where we put them! Also, why it's important to know where garden centre plants have come from at this time of year - see Chapters for details.Wit
Getting Your Garden Woodwork Ready For Winter with Jason Fitzgerald
Yes, now is the time! While the weather is still fair and you can paint in a T-shirt, September is a great month to be sorting out your garden woodwork: fences, benches, Summer houses, sheds, pergolas and other timber products that will thank you for giving it some protection from our cold, wet Winters.Jason Fitzgerald from our sponsors Fitzgerald, Laing Decorators provides some timely advice as w
A Masterclass In Garden Design From One Of The Best - Professor David Stevens
It's always a pleasure to meet and talk with David Stevens and one never leaves his company without a strong desire to quickly write down some of the gems he's reeled off about garden design. He has more RHS medals than I can count plus a host of other awards, recognising more than fifty years of excellence in horticultural design.For this week's LYG Live, we thought it would be use
Later Summer Flower Suggestions
John Stirland provides a few suggestions for border fillers that will provide late Summer and early Autumn colour. There's also advice on hedge trimming and answers to listener questions on figs and dealing with fruit pests. There are so many plant contenders so we're only scratching the surface here but John has gone for plants that will tolerate most soils and conditions. Plants we d
With Gardening Royalty at Belvoir Castle
It's a Summer treat for our members as John and I meet up with two stalwarts of the Horticultural world: Rob Hardy from Hardy's Cottage Garden Plants and renowned garden designer (and LYG member) Professor David Stevens. Recorded just as the July heatwave was setting the mercury rising at the Belvoir Castle Flower and Garden Show, it was a chance to pick up some top tips from the best.
Climate Change And Your Garden Wildlife With Mary Porter
Regardless of your views on climate change, July's record UK temperatures, coupled with similar events globally, remind us that something is very definitely afoot. It's an issue gardeners especially have been aware of for some time, particularly those taking an interest in our wildlife - or lack of it!Our guest this week, Mary Porter, has spent a lifetime championing the cause of UK wil
Protecting Your Garden From Heatwaves
With record temperatures being clocked up all over the world including the more temperate European countries, gardeners need to be alert to the dangers posed to their precious plants. In this week's episode, John Stirland discusses the crucial topic of efficient watering, plant care and Summer lawn maintenance as well as answering member questions on pruning Wisteria and tree care.As ever, i
What's New In Plants? - Mark Smith Reports From National Plant Show
Horticultural Wholesaler and LYG member Mark Smith updates us on some of the new products on display at the National Plant Show held at NAEC Stoneleigh in June.Blight resistant Box, easy-maintenance Clematis and dwarf varieties of popular shrubs for smaller gardens are just some of the items up for discussion. He also reveals how the industry feels about the year to date as fears grow the economy
Dealing With Garden Pests
This time of year should see our gardens at their best in the more temperate climates but it's also a time when pests and diseases are at their most active. In this week's episode, we consider the main pests we're likely to encounter, such as scale insect, aphids and whitefly as well as fungal infections like powdery mildew and effective ways to control them.We also discuss jobs to
Using Height To Get the Best Out Of Your Garden
This week Rod and John discuss ways of using the free space above your garden to add another dimension to your outdoor space. Whether it's trees, shrubs or man-made structures, lifting the ceiling of your garden can make a world of difference.John also touches on a couple of key jobs for this time of year for veg growers including tomato care and leek planting.We also respond to a couple of m
All You'll Ever Need To Know About Lawn Care
Our garden lawns can be the source of great pride or bitter disappointment! Our guest this week, Guy Jenkins from Johnsons Lawn Seeds and DLF Seeds & Science gives you the inside story on seed development with everything you need to know about giving your lawn the best chance of success. From choosing your seed to sowing, feeding, scarifying, aerating and mowing, Guy will take you through the
Summer Bedding - Adding Extra Colour To Your Garden
Summer Bedding is a familiar addition to most gardens, providing an extra burst of colour to your outdoor space. We look at the options and the pitfalls to avoid including the one common mistake that can leave you with loads of foliage...but no flowers!We also discuss the importance of plant supports, lifting your Spring bulbs, and respond to your questions about container suitability and plants
Painting Garden Woodwork - Pro Tips, and Vital Lawn Preparation
With all the effort we put into planning, planting and caring for our flowers, trees and shrubs, what's the point if our garden woodwork is a hotch-potch of broken fencing and shabby decking? There are so many interesting colours now with water-based wood treatments that will transform a garden and help show off your plants in all their glory.We meet up with LYG member Jason Fitzgerald from
Easter - So Much To Do!
John Stirland waxes lyrical about the joys of the garden waking up after the long Winter and how the Easter holiday is the time for you to really get on top of the 'to do' list to get your garden set for the busy growing season.We discuss sowing hardy annuals, buying your bedding plugs and protecting them in preparation for planting as the risk of frost eases, some border plant suggestio
Nick Hamilton - The Legacy of Barnsdale Gardens
Nick Hamilton, owner of the hugely popular Barnsdale Gardens in Rutland talks about the legacy of his famous father - Gardeners' World presenter Geoff Hamilton who introduced millions to gardening during the eighties and nineties before his untimely death in 1996.We discuss Barnsdale of course but also what it was like growing up in a television studio (Barnsdale was effectively 38 TV studio
In Conversation With Renowned Floral Designer Jonathan Moseley
A fabulous episode with one of the country's foremost floral designers who shares some tips and tricks for getting the best out of cut flowers but whose passion is utterly engaging. Jonathan is a regular at all the top shows including Chelsea, Hampton Court, Tatton and Malvern and his creations have adorned some of the country’s most prestigious venues.As ever, we've added a chapter tab
Spring Into Action! John Stirland Has Some Key Jobs For March
At last, Spring is upon us and our gardening season proper begins! Our chat this week is packed full of useful tips as John Stirland outlines a few key jobs to be getting on with including getting your herb garden ready, early lawn prep, Hellebore trimming and dividing and cleaning down greenhouse etc. John also answers questions on organic compost and potato growing. As ever, there's a chapt
Not Even Spring Yet But It's Never Too Early To Talk About Summer Bulbs
As we (UK) gardeners clean up after a week of successive storms and enjoy the early signs of Spring, we discuss the timely task of preparing for summer bulbs. Dahlias, Begonias and Lilies make a fabulous display for a summer garden but the work starts now.Also in our gardening clinic, we tackle bulb theft by squirrels and pruning ivy. Share your thoughts
Winter Pruning - It's Time!
John Stirland gives a master class on that essential February job of Winter pruning including the tools you need, tips on pruning roses, Clematis, Fruit Trees, Hedges and shrubs, finishing off with a couple of member questions answered. As ever, check out the chapter tab if you want to choose what's relevant but, at only twenty minutes, it's all worth a listen for John's wisdom on t
Gardening Therapy With Annabelle Padwick
We're delighted to have 'Life At No 27' Founder Annabelle Padwick as our guest on this week's LYG Podcast. Annabelle is a professional gardener as well as being a wellbeing practitioner and mental health first aider who, having conquered her own struggles with mental health challenges, now helps others through her horticultural therapy projects.We chat about how growing her ow
FEED ME! Which Fertiliser Should You Go For?
It's one of the most important products in your garden shed but while many gardeners are very aware of what they're feeding their plants, others can be forgiven for being a little bemused by the huge variety of products on those garden centre shelves. John Stirland demystifies the gobbledegook on the box and breaks down which elements work best for different plants.We also look at a coup
Soil Preparation, Early Spuds and Winter Pruning of Young Trees
It may still be Winter but there is plenty to be getting on with including preparing our beds and borders for the growing season. John Stirland takes us through the key steps, especially with heavy clay and sandy soils. We also demystify some of the jargon around seeds, such as F1s and F2s plus some tips on sowing sweet peas. If you're new to growing your own veg, John has some timely advice
Learning From The Best - Gardening Gold With Rosy Hardy
We're honoured to have one of the UK's top plantswomen (and some), Rosy Hardy - founder of Hardys Cottage Garden Plants and holder of no fewer than 24 RHS Chelsea gold medals for this week's LYG Podcast. Rosy talks about her passion for horticulture, her love of herbaceous plants, and shares some timely advice on Spring planting, plant pairing, planting with clay and propagation as
Choosing the right compost, seed propagation tips and 2 veg problems resolved
Loving Your Garden Live this week has John Stirland in full flow: demystifying compost, timely advice on sowing alpines and seed propagation, and solutions to two member-led questions about growing veg - no show cauliflowers and carrot fly. We also discuss jobs to be getting on with as recent sunny weather has tempted us out into our gardens. Do check the chapters tab for precise locations. We al
Gardening Advice From Former Chelsea Judge Ian Cooke
Horticulturist and former RHS judge Ian Cooke drops in for a virtual chat with Rod and John from his home in California. The guys talk about planting for shade (not much of that in Palm Springs) as well as small garden design, the subject of one of Ian's many books. John holds his weekly clinic for LYG subscribers answering questions on Leek Rust and when to sow tomato seeds for summer. Check
In The Company Of Garden Designer David Stevens
He's won no fewer than 26 RHS medals, 11 of them Gold at Chelsea and this year was presented with a coveted Lifetime Achievement Award by the Society of Garden Designers. Professor David Stevens kicks off the latest series of 'Loving Your Garden' podcasts with Rod Whiting and John Stirland.The guys discuss the year gone by; changing trends in horticulture, what to expect in '2
So what is the RHS and do we care?
In our first season finale, Rod and Richard Chuck talk with Loving Your Garden and former RHS member John Stirland about the merits of the Royal Horticultural Society, and we ask the charity's Chief Horticulturalist Guy Barter what it can do for you and your garden.We'll be taking a few weeks off to refresh the podcast (and ourselves) and be back with Season 2 at the end of the year. Don
What You Need to Know Before Tackling Those Garden Painting Jobs
We're filling our gardens with so much wood now with fancy fencing, decking, gazebos and summerhouses, it's becoming a major task to maintain it all. Professional painter and decorator Jason Fitzgerald shares some basic tips to prevent 'garden grief'. Richard Chuck shares a paint-based confession that leaves us open-mouthed and I get my plant of the week Geranium Delft Blue th
Something Every Gardener Should Know About - NGS Open Gardens!
Rod & Richard Chuck pay homage to one of the greatest endowments to the gardening world - the National Gardening Scheme which has nearly 4 thousand private gardens across the UK on its books. Rod talks to the scheme's Chief Executive George Plumtre and guest Helen Boothman talks about what it's like being a host at her own garden: Mill Farm Gardens near Caistor in Lincolnshire.Plus t
Springtime in Barnsdale Gardens
Rod and Richard Chuck finally get out into a garden and what a garden! The splendour of Barnsdale Gardens, made famous by the TV personality Geoff Hamilton is laid bare with Geoff's son Nick adding his observations. Share your thoughts
So many plants to choose from but which ones will give your garden the edge?
The mighty John Stirland joins Rod and Richard Chuck to talk plants with a new weekly feature - Plant of the week! Although we counted at least thirty! Share your thoughts
The Killer Secret to better Garden Design With David Stevens
One of the world's best-known garden designers, Professor David Stevens drops in to chat with Rod and Richard Chuck about his work and ethos designing at the very highest level. We discuss sustainable garden design, Japanese Gardens, inexpensive design hacks, and David's top three design tips. Listener warning: Richard has to be physically held back after David complains about the over-
Creative Planting with Martin Fish
Gardening consultant Martin Fish drops in on Rod and Richard Chuck. The chaps discuss Rod's new electric awning (posh get!), the marvel of tree surgeons and creative planting. Share your thoughts
Why homework pays before visiting the garden centre.
Garden designer Nikki Applewhite joins Rod and Richard Chuck to discuss the basic principles of good garden design and the pitfalls to avoid. We also get around to climate change and what names we give to our favourite spades (spoiler alert: Rod's is...'spade'.) Share your thoughts
Everything’s Coming Up Roses
Rod and Richard Chuck are joined by Alan Hargreaves from Lincolnshire based Hargreaves Roses. Alan persuades a sceptical Richard that roses are quite the thing. There's also talk of bulls' private anatomy but don't let that put you off. For context, he's also a farmer. Share your thoughts
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