Dig It

In this episode we suggest a couple of places to visit, some RHS partner gardens are open. Prebooking may be required so check with the gardens first. There is the Guided Swiss Garden Tour near Biggleswade and the Arley Arboretum and Gardens in Arley. Hozelock have launched a new range of tools with handles that can be changed to be longer or shorter to suit your preference and task at hand, the r...

In this episode Peter chats with Chris Collins from Garden Organic . Chris is currently the Head of Horticulture at Garden Organic and he tells us a little about what is going on in their 50th anniversary year. We learn why heritage seeds do so well in the United Kingdom and why organic gardening and working with nature can help you get a better yield from your crops. Chris tells us more about com...

Have you ever drunk the sap of a Tilia cordata or eaten a wild Garlic flower? In this episode learn about some unusual berries and plants and flowers you can eat. There are flowers to try which can make great colourful additions to the salad bowl or maybe pop in an ice cube. This episode it full of edibles that we have come across from historical resources and websites like the RHS edible flowers...

BBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair 11-13 September is at English Heritage’s Audley End House and Garden, Saffron Waldon, Essex Harrogate Autumn Flower Show Newby Hall and Gardens, 18th -20th September RHS Malvern Autumn Garden Show  a celebration of gardening and food. 25th – 27th September Buckingham Gaden Centre’s Apple day on the 26th and 27th of September with Mid shires Orchards and Apple...

In this episode Bill and Peter talk about the small amount of rain we have had! We then move on and discuss some gardening tales and myths. From ideas about companion planting which some think put off pests to slugs not being deterred by egg shells or copper strips. What is true and what is an AI myth or what just doesn’t work? Send us your comments and thoughts to podcast@hedging.co.uk Our thanks...

With the summer holiday season well underway the village of South Stoke, Oxfordshire is opening some of its Garden to the public on Bank Holiday Monday the 31st August, Admission is £6 for Adults. The Bell tower of the church will be open and there will be plant sales, tea and cakes in the village hall, Alpacas and funds raised will go to a community project. Hughenden , Benjamin Disrali’s country...

In this Episode, Bill and Peter Chat about the weather and the lack of rainfall. Some veggies have done well but others not so well. Hose pipe bans are expanding over more areas so check your local area and water supplier. The most important thing with the lack of rain is trying to replace the moisture in the ground so keep up your supplemental watering with watering cans. Bill has got round to di...

Bill teaches Peter the way to create Semi ripe hardwood cuttings. Cuttings are a great way to propagate certain types of plant like for example Photinia, Forsythia, Berberis, Hebe, Laurels, Brooms, Cistus, zonal geraniums and Camelias. There are also lots of other shrubs and trees which can be propagated like this. Peter has a tea bush (camelia) which is what we are going to try and propagate. &nb...

In this episode Bill and Peter discuss the latest Hosepipe Ban , most of the NGS gardens scheme gardens have finished now, but there are a few RHS shows to go and see and all the other wonderful National Trust and British Heritage Gardens to visit. The Chelsea Flower Show may have problems next year as it’s drive to go peat free before the industry is ready is causing growers to pull out as they d...

In this episode Peter and Bill chat about their allotments, when a plant is ready for planting out and some tips on how to make sure it gets off to a good start and has enough water. We then open a discussion about reportable diseases as a local customer has what we think may be Oak Processionary Moth a notifiable disease reportable to the forestry commission who can be notified at   TreeAler...

On the 12th of July Shrivenham , on the Oxford Wiltshire border opens some of its gardens to the public, as are the gardens of Bozeat and Cold Ashby . We are enjoying the Garden Centre temperature indoor climate but it has been very warm recently without much rain, so watering is very important to help plants. An Antirrhinum ‘Shiryu Kiss’  has won the Peter Seabrook award and Best in Show at...

In this episode Bill and Peter suggest a visit to Toddington Open Gardens on the 4th and 5th July and also if you are passing they both like Poplars Garden Centre as a great place to visit or pop in for tea and cake if you are going past on the M1. In Northamptonshire we have Irthlingborough and Drayton Parslow in Milton Keynes. Hanging baskets are looking good now, but are food hungry so feed the...

25 Gardens are open in Stony Stratford over the weekend of the 27th and 28th and there are also gardens open in Stonefield where 11 gardens will be open. We also share the sad news of the passing of Matthew Biggs the old Gardener’s World presenter and life-long horticulturalist, and garden designer. Bill and Peter also chat about Roses, the different types and where to use them, how to grow them a...

In this episode Peter and Bill chat about Bedding, Bokashi, and fertilizer. Bill suggests a few places to visit starting with Goring on Thames, Fritwell and Hanslope who have open garden weekends.  We chat about bedding for flower beds and how the fashions have changed. We used to do 3 plantings a year but now we mainly do just summer bedding. Bill talks us through ways to plant, numbers to g...

In this episode Bill and Peter chat about Hanging Baskets and Containers and the benefits of using Kindergarden's Pop Ins. We love the fact they are so simple and easy to plant and within a few weeks give you a great display which can last the whole summer. As one of our fastest moving products and only available for a short window you need to get your timing right to be able to buy them. All they...

In this Episode Peter Talks with Chris Hepburn, Senior Sales Manager of Hozelock . Chris has been with Hozelock for many years and worked his way up through the company and gained a fantastic knowledge of the Horticultural Watering Marketplace. We chat about where the company first started and why, and where the first ideas for the first products came from. Hozelock has a great reputation as a Bri...

Chelsea Gold medals decided. We like the new Hosta red ninja, the beautiful Red Greenhouse by Malvern Garden Buildings and various phallic houseplants on the sex toy manufacturer’s sponsored garden. The ‘Lady Garden’ was designed with fantastic sculptures, manicured bushes and beautiful coloured planting and will hopefully start conversations focused on female genitalia cancers and open up discuss...

Peter and Bill chat about some news items. Chelsea is sold out and opened to the general public Tuesday 19th May. Our friends at Malvern Garden Buildings have a stand and are exhibiting again. It may be a controversial year as one of the designers is getting criticised for using an AI app to design gardens. Peter has found a new range of pencils from Sprout World that have seeds in the end so you...

In this episode Bill and Peter discuss the RHS Chelsea Flower Show . Bill has had personal experience of displaying hanging baskets at the show and shares his thoughts and memories of how much effort and work goes into putting the show together. In this show we discuss some of the gardens that caught our eyes from Tech Mahindra’s Hedgerow in the Sky balcony exhibit that takes inspiration from Brit...

In this episode Peter chats with Bill about his recent Sweetcorn planting and why he failed and yet Bill had a totally different result. For places to visit locally, we have 80 West Hill Aspley Guise 31st May and Latimer Park Farm , Chesham, 30th May. If you fancy something different then have a look at Pumpkin Beths What’s on page or The National Gardens Scheme. Bill gives us some great tips on e...

Keukenhoff Tulip Gardens in the Netherlands is open with amazing displays of Tulips until the 10th May 2026 Pashley Manor Gardens Tulip display is an amazing display of over 4000 tulips in Essex. The NGS Open Gardens are opening all over the uk clink on the link to find out more. The RHS Malvern Spring Festival opens on 7th to the 10th May and then we have the great RHS Chelsea Flower Show , 19th...

Pumpkin Beth – Plant Fairs and seed swaps we found this page on Beth’s website that has masses of places to visit, seed swaps, open gardens. The website also has lots of interesting articles and news. Grantham Garden Centre reopens its doors with it’s new name and having undergone lots of work. River View at Goldings in the Clyde valley also opened its doors on Good Friday. Oakwood Clydedales have...

Bill has joined the podcast to share some of his knowledge from a life time in horticulture. In this episode we learn a little about Bill's introduction to growing plants, from his early days of harvesting in school to help feed his fellow pupils to growing flowers, bedding, and vegetables for the commercial markets of London and Birmingham. We talk through some of the changes and improvements to...

Time to feed your Daffodils as the bulbs have put a lot of energy into flowering and as the flowers are dying off you can give them some foliar feed to help them put more energy into the bulb for another good show next year. It is also worth deadheading them after flowering but leave the rest of the foliage for at least 6 to 8 weeks after flowering before cutting down. It’s time to plant Onions an...

Manos Kanellos is hoping to join us on the podcast in the Autumn to help us with our Orchids, after a very successful Orchid Day and Terrarium workshop at the Garden Centre. Newbury Garden Show at the Newbury Showground, RG 18 9QZ on the 11th and 12 April. The Rare Plant Fair at the Old Rectory Quenington. GL7 5BN on the 12th April Kingswood Walton and Tadworth Horticultural Society spring show 11...