Each week we talk to RHS experts, along with garden designers, scientists, growers, and the movers and shakers of the horticultural world
Our award-winning Gardening with the RHS podcast offers seasonal advice, inspiration and practical solutions to gardening questions.Trusted gardening professionals give you the latest horticultural advice, scientific research and tried-and-tested techniques to bring out the best in your garden.Listen to the lastest episodes or subscribe for all episodes.
In this episode, Digital Science Editor Olivia Drake introduces the RHS Wildlife Wonder plant, the hazel, which not only supplies queen bumblebees with much-needed early pollen, but also provides tasty nuts and abundant leaves to support a huge range of wildlife throughout the year. While it may still be a little early to sow most crops directly outdoors, if you’ve got a greenhouse or warm windowsill, you can get a head start on the growing season. Down at RHS Wisley, Liz Mooney is busy sowing aubergines, sweet peppers and chillies, and she shares her top tips for getting the best from these heat-loving crops. Finally, Professor Ross Cameron from the University of Sheffield, author of Plants Can Save Your Life, joins us to explore the science of plants and wellbeing, and how indoor gardening can play a powerful role in boosting our health.
Useful links: Wildlife wonder: Hazel | Grow Your Own | Award-winning chilli peppers to grow | RHS Bookshelf
Now is a great time to start planning what to grow and this week, we dive headfirst into the seed catalogues for inspiration. We explore some of the tastiest and most eye-catching additions to the veg patch – heirlooms. We also take a deep dive into tomato cultivars, as Liz Mooney shares her top picks from last year’s ‘tomato extravaganza’, which saw her grow more than 50 varieties at RHS Wisley’s World Food Garden. Finally, we get back to basics with the foundation of any abundant veg plot, the soil. Nick Turrell and Jenny Laville dig into the ins and outs of how to care for the earth beneath your feet.
Useful links: Sowing vegetable seeds | Growing tomatoes | World Food Garden | How to care for your soil
In this episode, we’re telling the story of peat: from the value of this amazing otherworldly habitat, to the threats facing these rare landscapes and work being done to protect them, and how growers and horticulturists are adapting to a peat-free future. We speak to Beth Thomas from the Yorkshire Wildlife Trusts, RHS Peat-Free Research Technician Scott Spriggs, and plantsperson Mairi Longdon from Tissington Nursery.
Useful links: Peat-free gardening hub | Sign the peat-free petition | Soil analysis service | RHS Gardening Advice
In this episode, we’re rolling up our sleeves to look at how we can support our garden visitors, while also preparing for the burst of life that spring will bring. The RSPB’s Emma Marsh is back to share how monitoring projects like the Big Garden Bird Watch can make a real difference when it comes to helping our declining species. Gareth Richards pops in with his top tips for growing one of his allotment favourites (and a firm favourite with bumblebees too) the humble raspberry. Finally, Olivia Drake shines a spotlight on the RHS Wildlife Wonders plant for January, the shrubby honeysuckle.
Useful links: Birds in your garden | How to grow raspberries | Why you need a shrubby honeysuckle in your garden
In this episode, we’re joined by the RSPB’s Emma Marsh, who shares how she has made her garden into a haven for birds. We’ll also conclude Nick Turrell’s countdown of the most influential plants that have shaped human culture and history around the globe. Plus, now is the best time to get outside and prune your freestanding apples and pears – Jim Arbury gives us a masterclass on exactly what you need to do to keep your trees productive and in shape for the year ahead.
Useful links: Plants for birds |Popular plants | Apples and pears: winter pruning
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The RHS is the UK’s gardening charity, helping people and plants to grow - nurturing a healthier, happier world, one person and one plant at a time.
