Gardening with the RHS

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In this week's programme we visit a brand new hotbed of horticultural research in the UK: RHS Hilltop – The home of gardening science. In the heart of RHS Garden Wisley, this state-of-the-art facility will house groundbreaking research into problems affecting real-life gardens, and offer visitors unique insights. We meet award-winning designer Ann-Marie Powell who talks us through the stunning spaces surrounding the building, featuring an array of edibles and wildlife-friendly planting. Plus our resident history maven Fiona Davison shares the story of how Wisley ended up at the forefront of gardening science over a century ago.

This week we head to RHS Garden Wisley for a bumper edition of summer gardening advice. Our RHS experts guide you through everything you need to know to keep your blooms blooming and your crops cropping all summer long, and what you can do now to ensure good results next year too.

Join us as we visit this incredible 154-acre garden in Salford, Greater Manchester. RHS Garden Bridgewater has been the biggest hands-on horticultural project undertaken in Europe since it got the go-ahead back in 2017. We go behind the scenes to meet the people who make it all happen, discovering horticultural gems galore as we go, including the unique Chinese Streamside garden.

How do you grow fruit and veg that doesn't cost the earth? Edible gardening guru Mark Diacono shares tips from his decades of experience growing all kinds of palatable plants as sustainably as possible. RHS Gardening Advisor Leigh Hunt gives tips on how to use less water but still get brilliant results on your plot, and historian Fiona Davison shares her delight at putting together a new digital collection chronicling how gardeners come together to get through tough times. Plus researcher Advolly Richmond tells the forgotten story of 20th century gardening heroine, Norah Lindsay.

"Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away..." This week we're gardening with winged visitors in mind as we talk all things pollinator. However, there's more to pollinating insects than just bees, as the Natural History Museum's Senior Curator, Erica McAlister explains. "Having a cuppa tea and a chocolate brownie? You wouldn't be having any of that in your beautiful garden if it wasn't for the flies," she says. Who knew such humble creatures could be so important? Garden designer Humaira Ikram shares tips on how to create a pollinator-friendly plot and in the latest part of our grow-your-own series, Sylvia Travers of RHS Garden Bridgewater offers tips on growing all kinds of beans. Plus, as part of our Hidden Horticulturists series, grower Abra Lee tells the inspirational story of Edmond Albius, a young slave boy who worked out one of the biggest botanical mysteries of his day – how to pollinate the vanilla orchid. As Abra says, "It's so empowering to hear these stories, and you're able to look at yourself and know you are capable of great things".

It's a bumper year for 'The greatest flower show on earth' as 2021 sees not one but two RHS Chelseas! Join Shows Manager Katherine Potsides as she lifts the lid on this bubbling cauldron of gardening goodness. Including interviews with multi award-winning garden designer Sarah Eberle and clematis connoisseur Raymond Evison, who share their thoughts on the opportunities and challenges presented by an autumn show. Plus our weekly GYO slot with expert advice on a technique to really make the most of every square inch of your vegetable plot.

This week we're talking about gardening as a force for good. We visit an inspiring hospital garden that has brought joy from tragedy, and meet Mothin Ali, founder of the Dig It Out campaign, which aims to tackle racism in the gardening world. Plus we learn how to encourage beneficial beetles in our plots and get GYO tips on growing kale and courgettes from Sylvia Travers of RHS Garden Bridgewater.

From plant pots to compost bags to watering cans and much more, it can be hard to avoid using plastic in the garden. In this week’s programme we examine how to go plastic-free on your plot. With contributions from RHS Editor Chris Young, industry insider Natalie Porter of Happy Plants nursery, RHS advisor Becky Mealey and eco-gardening expert Sally Nex.

This week we’re discussing wildlife ponds with author Kate Bradbury and growing sweet peas with top breeder Roger Parsons. In our weekly GYO feature, Dr Sylvia Travers of RHS Garden Bridgewater shares tips on strawberry cultivation. Plus garden writer and wildlife expert Jean Vernon gives advice on controlling pests without chemicals.

This week we're discovering how to garden the pet-friendly way. Whether that's making a dog-proof garden, keeping cats at bay or growing food for small animals such as guinea pigs and rabbits – there's lots you can do to keep plants, people and pets all happy together. Author, dog lover and RHS Senior Horticultural Advisor Helen Bostock explains how. Author and organic veg grower Claire Ratinon shares her love of chicken keeping and offers tips on how to keep birds and plants in happy balance. We meet the new Editor of The Garden magazine, Tom Howard, who offers a sneak peek into the upcoming May edition. RHS gardening advisor Leigh Hunt gives advice on crop rotation in the vegetable plot and we hop along to Leonardslee Gardens in Sussex to meet some rather unusual residents...

This week we're zooming in on gardening to appreciate some miniature marvels. James Wong shares his experiences creating miniature tropical worlds at home using terrariums, and Peter Goodchild of RHS Garden Wisley explores the colourful diversity of alpines. Historian Wesley Kerr tells the story of a groundbreaking painting of a gardener that was a milestone in the representation of Black people in British art. Plus ideas of what to do with your children in the garden with RHS Advisor Becky Mealey.

Perfect green sward or flowery meadow? Or maybe a bit of both? RHS gardening advisor Nikki Barker gives advice on how to grow a lawn that works for both people and wildlife. Editor-at-Large Chris Young talks to garden designer Arne Maynard about his design for a beautiful and unusual suburban garden, featured in this month's edition of The Garden magazine. And finally, historian Wesley Kerr sings the praises of another influential designer, 18th-century landscape architect William Kent, in the latest part of our 'Hidden Horticulturists' series.

Did you know that you can help fight climate change and protect rare plants and animals simply by changing what type of compost you buy? Peat bogs hold more carbon than all the world’s forests combined, and incredibly, the UK is one of the world’s top 10 countries by peatland area. Discover the amazing world of peat, and the part that gardeners can play to keep it in bogs, not bags, this spring. Featuring Sarah Johnson from the Lancashire Peat Partnership, botanist Joshua Styles, and an interview with Rebecca Pow MP, Minister for the Environment. Plus expert tips on peat-free growing from Propagation Team Leader Sam Gallivan at RHS Garden Wisley.

This week's programme is jam-packed with great gardening advice from our RHS experts on a huge range of topics to get your garden off to a flying start, including how to smarten up your garden and plants for spring colour. It's dahlia planting time and top dahlia breeder Dr Keith Hammett offers insight into the wonderful world of this most variable of garden flowers ('I like to call them the dogs of the plant world'!). Did you know you can propagate some houseplants by literally pulling the roots apart? And others can be grown from sections of leaf? RHS gardening advisor James Lawrence explains. Plus Chris Young with a preview of the latest issue of The Garden magazine.

Did you know that running a petrol lawnmower for an hour can create the same carbon emissions as driving a car for 93 miles? Or that using peat-free compost in your garden is a great way to save wildlife and cut your carbon footprint? This week's show is all about the ways we can all make a difference on our doorstep. Featuring Catherine Cutler from The Eden Project, author Sally Nex and no-dig gardening guru Charles Dowding. Plus the latest in our series celebrating the unsung heroes of horticulture: the inspirational story of George Washington Carver; born a slave, he overcame overwhelming obstacles to become one of the most eminent and forward-thinking scientists of his day.

This week's programme is devoted to all things edible. Writer and podcaster Lucy Chamberlain shares expert tips on growing crops in small spaces and hot dry spots. Allotmenteer Ashley Nwokorie finds delight in growing a taste of her native Zimbabwe – covo or African kale. In the latest part of our Hidden Horticulturists series we highlight the story of Robert Thompson, a Victorian writer who help make gardening accessible to the masses. Host Guy Barter shares tips on hedges for allotments and shares some of his growing fails, proving that even the experts sometimes get it wrong. And finally, award-winning food writer Mark Diacono reveals the Far Eastern spice you can grow in your garden.

From winter floods to summer droughts, water is becoming ever-more of an issue for gardeners. This week, we talk to RHS Water Scientist Janet Manning, to discover clever ways we can all make the most of what we've got. The gardening advice team answers listeners' questions on plants that help prevent flooding, and those that tolerate both drought and waterlogging. Plus a look at the enduring legacy of pioneering plantswoman Beth Chatto's Dry Garden.

Discover a world of daffodils; from their amazing cultivars, the forgotten story of a man who saved them from a dreaded pest to their modern uses in treating Alzheimer’s disease. Plus, do you know the difference between a bulb, corm and a tuber? An RHS gardening advisor busts more botanical jargon.

Growing plants from seed has to be one of gardening’s most profound pleasures, and now is the ideal time to start thinking about what you’re going to grow this year. Today’s programme is jam-packed with great advice, including a surprising rule of thumb you may never have heard of from our resident allotment guru Guy Barter. Plus RHS Gardening Advisor James Lawrence gives tips on growing houseplants from seed and organic grower Claire Ratinon shares her love of tomatoes.

Love is in the airwaves this week. We’re bewitched by witch hazels, exploring the amorous history of the rose and the forgotten love language of flowers. Hear growing advice on roses and a Valentine’s bloom you can pick from the garden on the day itself, the violet. Plus expert flower arranging tips from florists Putnam & Putnam.

Wildlife is a hugely important part of gardens, and one that we’ve come to appreciate all the more in the last year. This week we discover the secret winter lives of native butterflies, learn how to make a wildflower meadow, and unearth why moles can actually be good for gardens. Plus author and wildlife expert Kate Bradbury discusses wildlife in RHS Gardens with editor of The Garden magazine Chris Young, and reflects on how our animal neighbours are helping humans get through lockdown. For links and info please see the show notes or rhs.org.uk/podcast

If you love nature and growing your own, but don't love digging, listen up! This week we're exploring permaculture, an environmentally-friendly way of growing that encompasses both edible, ornamental and wildlife-friendly plants in the same space. Including contributions from grower and forager Poppy Okotcha; Sylvia Travers, Team Leader in the Forest Garden at RHS Garden Bridgewater; and Vera Greutink, permaculturist and author of Edible Paradise.

It's an often-repeated phrase in gardening but putting the 'right plant in the right place' really is a shortcut to growing success. So this week we're exploring how to match plants with places – both indoors and out – to get the absolute best out of your garden and house plants. RHS gardening advisor James Lawrence gives tips on picking the right houseplant for different rooms and garden designer Lee Burkhill shares tips on getting to know your plot. Plus designer and nursery grower Gerry Price offers advice on growing plants in coastal gardens.

In this week’s episode we visit Cambo Gardens in Fife to meet snowdrop enthusiast Lady Catherine Erskine and her impressive collection of these iconic winter flowers. Plus contributions from nurserywoman Jane Rowlinson of Galanthus specialists Morlas Plants, and snowdrop growing tips from RHS gardening advisor Nikki Barker.

As the new year begins, our outdoor spaces seem more important than ever. This week we're looking at gardening can benefit the mind, body and soul. Grower and forager Poppy Okotcha shares the seasonal delights of winter purslane (Claytonia perfoliata) – a little-known salad plant that can provide fresh, healthy greens throughout the coldest months. Award-winning garden designer Juliet Sargeant gives her thoughts on how the way we garden will change in 2021, and what she's doing on her own plot to encourage wildlife. Plus the RHS's first 'Wellbeing Fellow', Dr Lauriane Suyin Chalmin-Pui details the results of a four-year scientific study onto how having a green front garden can reduce stress and improve your mental and physical health.

Do you know why we kiss under the mistletoe, or why holly and ivy are associated with Christmas? Head of RHS Libraries Fiona Davison explores the ancient myth and magic of Christmas plants. How green is your Christmas tree? Hear our guide to making sure your festive focal point doesn't cost the earth. Plus a look at an unusual cactus that grows on trees (and on your windowsill).

From changing patterns of frost and rainfall to increasing risks of summer heatwaves, climate change presents a unique set of challenges – and some opportunities – for gardeners. This week’s show is all about our increasingly variable weather and what it means for gardens, gardeners and our wildlife. Featuring weatherman and BBC broadcaster Peter Gibbs, WWF Head of Climate Change Gareth Redmond-King and RHS Gardening Advisor Nikki Barker.

This year our expert RHS panel comprises Fiona Davison (Head of Libraries and Exhibitions), Chris Young (Editor of The Garden magazine) and Guy Barter (Chief Horticulturist). They share their favourite gardening publications of 2020, and look forwards to some exciting new titles for 2021. We also speak to award-winning author Robert Macfarlane, who, like many people, was dismayed to discover that many nature-related words such as 'bluebell', 'acorn' and 'jay' were being lost from children's dictionaries. Unwilling to sit by and watch nature slip from the consciousness of our young people, he wrote a book – The Lost Words – which is now taught in schools across the country.

Snakebark maples, winter-flowering camellias and a sacred Central American shrub that makes itself at home on our windowsills... there are many amazing plants that give us colour and interest in even the darkest months. We visit the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens* to discover an incredible range of hardy plants that look great all winter. Garden designer Juliet Sargeant gives her seasonal tips for adding interest to your garden at home and we uncover the surprising story of a perennial Christmas favourite, the poinsettia. Plus plantsman and nursery owner Claire Austin's ode to an unusual evergreen iris that flowers from December to March. *Please note that this RHS Partner Garden is open free to RHS members in January and February. See link in the show notes for more detail.

Hear the incredible story of EK Janaki Ammal, a pioneering scientist who overcame race, class and gender discrimination to become the first female botanist at RHS Garden Wisley. Dr Chris Thorogood of Oxford Botanic Garden shares insight into the weird world of mutualism – plants and animals cooperating in unexpected ways to make the most of tough conditions. Plus the RHS gardening advisors gather to answer questions on roses (can you grow them in shade and can you move them?), a passionflower that refuses to bloom and growing herbs in planters.

This week we meet Andrew Forsyth of Weasdale Nurseries in Cumbria who explains the challenges of gardening 850ft up in the hills of Cumbria, and shares tips on how to garden in cold and exposed situations. Kate Risely, head of pioneering research project Garden BirdWatch, explains what changes have been observed since the project launched in 1995. Plus RHS advisors share insight on epiphytic plants and how to encourage birds into your garden.

This week we're unwrapping lots of gardening goodness, from expert seasonal advice and untold stories to wildlife tips. Nursery owner and plantswoman Claire Austin shares inside information on what the people who produce plants for our gardens are doing at this time of year (it's much more than you might think!); Zehra Zaidi tells the little-known story of John Ystumllyn, an 18th century African gardener in North Wales and Helen Bostock heads into the undergrowth to share tips on how to help hedgehogs in your garden.

This week we're all about planning for the months ahead. RHS Gardening Advisor James Lawrence offers tips on how to keep your houseplants happy and healthy through the winter. We visit Holehird Gardens* in Cumbria for inspirational seasonal planting ideas. Plus garden designer Flo Headlam offers tips on how to really make the most of fragrant plants in your garden. *Holehird Gardens are looking forward to welcoming visitors after lockdown. The gardens are un-manned and visitors are encouraged to show their support via the donation boxes.

Join us on a Halloween spooktacular! Dr Chris Thorogood of Oxford Botanic Garden delves into the weird and wonderful world of parasitic 'vampire' plants including the rainforest giant Rafflesia, the largest flower in the world; to one you can grow at home. Plus RHS gardening advisors Leigh Hunt and Becky Mealey talk death in the garden, with a guide to telling if your plants are ill or just resting, and how to rescue them from a near-death experience. Sometimes Frankenstein-style surgery really is the way forward!

From Japanese digging knives to LED growing lights, tools and technology are transforming the way we garden. In this episode RHS experts share some unusual favourite gardening implements. We discuss how technology – from 19th century lawnmowers to 21st century sensors and apps – has changed and continues to change the face of gardening. Chelsea designer Hay Joung Hwang describes how she incorporates technology into her gardens. Paul Myers of Farm Urban explains how a zero-waste underground farm is bringing fresh year-round local food to the heart of Liverpool.

In week's programme we’re going wild for weeds. Author and designer Jack Wallington sings the praises of these much maligned plants and offers ideas for using them in gardens. RHS gardening advisor Nikki Barker offers insight on dealing with Japanese knotweed. California-based educator Indy Srinath shares her love of dandelions and writer Gareth Richards offers insight into the secrets of weeds’ success.

If you thought that fungi are just toadstools, think again. In this episode we discover how they make food, both help and hinder plants, and even inspire music. Featuring author and biologist Merlin Sheldrake, mushroom grower Ann Miller and RHS gardening experts.

This week we're turning young fingers green in a programme dedicated to the gardeners of tomorrow. Alana Cama and RHS Young Ambassador George Hassall hear heartwarming stories of people involved with the RHS Campaign For School Gardening; including last year's School Gardening Champion of the Year, Michelle Jones. Plus Lee Connelly, aka the Skinny Jean Gardener shares tips on how to engage children in gardening.

If you love spring bulbs but aren't sure where to start, we've got you covered. RHS Gardening Advisor Jenny Bowden gives her bulb planting 101 with lots of handy hints and tips; plus some lovely recommendations of which varieties to plant. Organic food grower and writer* Claire Ratinon tells the story of how she got into an ecologically-based way of gardening, and why it matters. Claire gives tips for organic growing in small spaces and containers. Plus garden designer Tom Massey's love letter to London's green lung, Richmond Park.

This week's show is all about saving. Jack Wallington is saving veg for the winter – who doesn't love being able to reach into the freezer or pantry for a quick taste of summer on a cold November day? RHS Water Scientist Janet Manning shares some expert tips on how to make the very best use of water and mulches in your garden, revealing some surprising facts along the way. And as ever our resident gardening guru Guy Barter is full of useful info and gardening tips too.

This week we've a bumper crop of help and advice to get your garden into shape for autumn. RHS experts give timely tips on everything from picking seasonal bedding plants, smartening up your plot, growing lemons and how to prune a purple-leaf elderberry. Horticulturist and TV presenter Flo Headlam gives a garden designer's take on how to get the best from your garden in autumn and shares her favourite plants for late-season impact.

This week we're exploring the weird, wild and wonderful world of foraging with activist Indy Srinath. Dr Chris Thorogood from Oxford Botanic Garden explains the deadly secrets of some of our most common plants and garden designer Juliet Sargeant shares her love of a particular hebe which has some really useful qualities in the garden.

This week we’re exploring the colourful world of floral arrangements. We’re taking a journey from the field to the florist, starting with sustainable British grower Cel Robertson from Forever Green Flower Company. Then, we’re heading to one of the most famous floral centres in the world, New Covent Garden Market, to hear about its history. We’re meeting florist to the stars Simon Lycett in LA as he shares some of his career highlights: from arranging royal wedding flowers, to film set bouquets. Plus we finish with some top tips from our advisory team on how to grow spectacular cut flowers at home.

The transformative power of gardening has never been more evident – or more necessary – than it is now. This week guest presenters TV gardener Danny Clarke and Alana Cama from the RHS Campaign for School Gardening explore communal urban gardens tackling inequality and food poverty in Los Angeles with activist Indy Srinath. Closer to home we meet Tayshan Hayden-Smith. He's CEO of Grow2Know, a non-profit organisation born from the ashes of the Grenfell Tower disaster, that now empowers young people through horticulture. Tayshan talks about breaking through the barriers to make gardening and horticulture truly inclusive and sharing their amazing benefits for health and wellbeing with everyone. Plus a look at what the RHS is doing to promote community gardening across the country.

From growing exotic veg and making Middle Eastern spice mixes to the fascinating world of fermentation, this week's show is dedicated to all things edible.