Gardening with Ben - Garden and Allotment Tips and Advice Podcast

❄️🌿 December might feel quiet, but it’s one of the most important months for setting your garden and allotment up for a successful year ahead. In this episode, we’re covering all the essential jobs you should tick off your list before the new growing season starts. We’ll talk through clearing dead foliage, protecting tender plants from frost, turning compost, tidying beds, planting your final win...

❄️🌱 December might feel like the gardening year is slowing down, but there are still plenty of beautiful things you can plant for colour, structure, and flavour. In this episode, we explore all the winter-friendly vegetables, flowers, and hardy crops that thrive when planted in December. We’ll chat through overwintering broad beans, garlic, onions, winter salads, spinach, and hardy herbs — plus w...

🍂🌱 November is the month where the allotment truly shows what all your hard work has produced. In this episode, we take a full round-up of the November harvest — the wins, the surprises, the late crops, and the final bits of colour before winter settles in. We’ll chat through harvesting the last leafy greens, hardy roots, autumn brassicas, and late-season fruit. We’ll talk about what performed w...

🍁🌱 Saturdays in November are made for getting stuck into those essential allotment jobs before winter settles in. In this episode, we break down the must-do weekend tasks that will protect your plot, boost soil health, and set you up for a strong start next spring. We’ll talk through clearing old crops, mulching beds, protecting tender plants, pruning fruit bushes, organising the shed, cleaning...

🦔🌼 Creating a wildlife-friendly garden doesn’t have to be complicated — in fact, the easiest changes often make the biggest difference. In this episode, we explore simple, effortless ways you can transform your garden or allotment into a thriving habitat for birds, bees, butterflies, hedgehogs, and beneficial insects. We’ll chat through adding wildlife-friendly plants, leaving cosy spots for ins...

🦔🌼 Creating a wildlife-friendly garden doesn’t have to be complicated — in fact, the easiest changes often make the biggest difference. In this episode, we explore simple, effortless ways you can transform your garden or allotment into a thriving habitat for birds, bees, butterflies, hedgehogs, and beneficial insects. We’ll chat through adding wildlife-friendly plants, leaving cosy spots for ins...

🌱✨ Starting an allotment is one of the most rewarding journeys you can begin — and this episode gives beginners everything they need to get off to a strong start. Whether you’ve just received a new plot or you’re thinking about taking one on, this guide walks you through the essential first steps. We’ll talk about clearing your plot without overwhelm, understanding your soil, planning simple lay...

❄️🌱 A cold November Sunday is the perfect time to prepare your allotment for the winter ahead. In this episode, we dive into all the essential jobs, cosy tasks, and seasonal checks that help your plot stay healthy right through the colder months. We’ll talk through winter soil care, topping up mulch, tidying beds, protecting tender plants, checking polytunnel ventilation, cleaning greenhouses, an...

🍂🌱 Autumn is the season of preparation — the moment to get your allotment ready before winter truly settles in. In this episode, we walk through all the essential jobs you should complete now so your plot stays protected, productive, and healthy through the colder months. We’ll cover clearing out tired summer crops, topping up mulch, improving the soil with compost, pruning soft fruit bushes, ti...

🍂🌱 Autumn weekends on the allotment are all about the hustle — clearing, prepping, tidying, planting, and getting ahead before winter lands. In this episode, we dive into everything that makes a busy autumn weekend both productive and rewarding. We’ll chat through clearing old beds, lifting the last crops, topping up compost, mulching for winter, pruning soft fruit, cleaning pots, repairing rais...

🌱✨ A new gardening year is just around the corner — and now is the perfect time to set clear, exciting, and achievable goals for your allotment in 2025. In this episode, I’m sharing the plans I’m making for my own plot, along with practical advice to help you shape yours. We’ll talk about choosing realistic yearly goals, improving soil health, planning crop rotations, growing new varieties, boos...

🥕🌿 Growing your own produce isn’t just about saving money — it’s about flavour, health, sustainability, and reconnecting with nature. In this episode, we explore why growing your own food truly matters and how it can completely transform your gardening journey. We’ll talk about the benefits of home-grown veg, from better taste and higher nutrition to reducing plastic waste and cutting food miles...

📝🌱 A great allotment starts with a great plan — and autumn is the perfect time to create yours. In this episode, we explore how to design a clear, simple, and achievable allotment plan that works for your space, your lifestyle, and your gardening goals. We’ll talk step-by-step through plotting out beds, choosing the best areas for sun-loving vs. shade-loving crops, planning crop rotation, improv...

🌱✨ Gardening isn’t just about plants — it’s about patience, resilience, and finding joy even when things don’t go to plan. In this episode, we dive into how to stay motivated in your garden or allotment through the challenges of the year, especially during the colder, darker months. We’ll talk about beating the autumn and winter slump, celebrating small wins, setting realistic goals, creating si...

🍁🌱 November weekends are some of the busiest on the allotment — clearing beds, preparing soil, planting winter veg, and getting everything ready before the deep cold sets in. In this episode, we dive into everything that makes a true autumn hustle on the plot. We’ll talk through: • Clearing out the final summer crops • Tidying raised beds and giving soil a boost • Adding mulch and compost for wi...

🍂🌱 Autumn is one of the most important seasons on the allotment — a time for tidy-ups, winter prep, and getting ahead before the cold truly settles in. In this episode, we break down all the essential jobs you should be doing right now to protect your plot and set yourself up for success next year. We’ll cover: • Clearing old crops and removing spent plants • Boosting beds with compost, mulch, a...

🍁🌱 There’s something special about an autumn Saturday on the allotment — the calm, the colour, and the chance to get those essential weekend jobs done before winter arrives. In this episode, we explore all the tasks, tips, and seasonal advice you need to make the most of your autumn weekends on the plot. We’ll cover: • Clearing away the final summer crops • Preparing beds for winter with compost...

🧄🧅 Autumn is the perfect time to plant onions and garlic — two of the easiest, most rewarding crops you can grow on the allotment. In this episode, we dive into everything you need to know to get a strong, healthy crop ready for harvesting next summer. We’ll walk through: • The best onion sets & garlic varieties for autumn planting • Why planting now gives bigger, stronger bulbs • How to pre...

🐦🌿 Winter can be tough for our garden wildlife — but with a few simple steps, you can turn your allotment into a safe, welcoming haven throughout the colder months. In this episode, we explore the easiest, most effective ways to support birds, hedgehogs, insects, and other wildlife as the temperatures drop. We’ll cover: • The best foods to leave out for birds in winter • How to stop feeders free...

🍁🌱 November weekends on the allotment are packed with essential jobs — clearing, planting, mulching, tidying, and prepping for the winter ahead. In this episode, we break down everything that makes a late-autumn weekend so productive and rewarding on the plot. We’ll chat through: • Lifting the last summer crops and clearing old growth • Topping up beds with compost and mulch before frost hits •...

🍁🌱 November is one of the most important months on the allotment — a time to tidy, protect, prepare, and get your garden winter-ready. In this episode, we break down all the essential jobs you should be tackling to keep your plot healthy through the cold months and thriving when spring returns. We’ll cover: • Clearing away dead foliage and old crops • Adding compost, leaf mould & mulch for w...

🍁🌱 November might feel like the gardening season is slowing down, but there are still plenty of fantastic crops you can plant and sow right now. In this episode, we take a look at the most reliable, hardy and worthwhile options for your allotment as winter approaches. We’ll chat through: • The best vegetables to sow or plant in November • Why hardy varieties thrive through winter • Garlic, onion...

🌱✨ Every allotment year is a mix of wins, losses, surprises, and lessons — and that’s what makes gardening such an incredible journey. In this episode, we reflect on the big successes and not-so-successful moments from the year, and how each one can help shape a stronger, more productive plot next season. We’ll chat through: • Which crops performed brilliantly this year — and why • What failed m...

🍁🌱 September is the true beginning of autumn — a fresh start, a seasonal reset, and one of the most exciting transition months in the gardening year. In this episode, we take you through your full September gardening checklist to help you make the most of this vibrant time on the allotment. We’ll cover: • What to plant and sow now for autumn and winter harvests • Tidying summer beds and refreshi...

🌿✨ The gardening revival begins! In this episode, we’re kicking off a fresh wave of allotment inspiration, seasonal tips, and honest conversations about the ups, downs, and joys of growing your own. Join Ben as he shares what’s coming up in the newest run of podcast episodes — from autumn and winter tasks to spring planning, crop successes and failures, wildlife care, seed sowing, and personal a...