Gardening with Ben - Garden and Allotment Tips and Advice Podcast

🥔🌱 Few gardening moments are as exciting as digging up your own potatoes or picking a fresh handful of runner beans. In this episode, we celebrate the joy of harvest season and share the essential tips you need for lifting, storing, and making the most of your homegrown crops. We’ll chat through: • When to know your potatoes are ready to lift • The difference between first earlies, second earlie...

🌞🌱 July is one of the most exciting months on the allotment — warm days, fast growth, and endless opportunities to sow new crops. In this episode, we explore the seed-sowing secrets that help you make the most of mid-summer planting. We’ll chat through: • The best vegetables to sow in July for late-summer and autumn harvests • Fast-growing crops perfect for filling gaps in beds • Succession sowi...

🌿🍅 If you love growing salvias and tomatoes, this episode is packed with the essential tips you need to take your skills to the next level. We dive into two allotment favourites — salvia cuttings and tomato care — and show you simple ways to get bigger, healthier, more productive plants. We’ll chat through: • The perfect time to take salvia cuttings • How to choose strong, healthy stems • Step-b...

🌿🌸 Peas and lavender might seem worlds apart — but they share one beautiful thing in common: they’re both incredibly rewarding to grow and propagate. In this episode, we dive into two iconic allotment tasks: harvesting peas and taking lavender cuttings. We’ll chat through: • How to tell when peas are at peak sweetness • The right way to pick pods without damaging the plant • Why regular harvesti...

🌱💬 Every gardener has a story, a trick, a shortcut, or a lesson learned the hard way — and in this episode, we bring them all together. “Garden Chats” is a celebration of community wisdom, featuring the best tips, advice, and insights shared by fellow gardeners across allotments, gardens, and growing spaces everywhere. We’ll chat through: • The most common tips gardeners swear by • Advice that s...

🌿✨ If you could bottle all the best gardening wisdom into one place — this episode would be it. “Garden Gold” brings together the most valuable, time-saving, stress-busting, and harvest-boosting tips every gardener should know. We’ll chat through: • The golden rules of gardening every grower swears by • Tips that make the biggest difference with the least effort • How to get healthier soil witho...

🧰🌱 Every gardener has a few tools they simply couldn’t live without — and in this episode, we’re diving into the gadgets that truly make a difference on the plot. From classic hand tools to clever modern helpers, we’re sharing our all-time favourites for making gardening easier, faster, and more enjoyable. We’ll chat through: • The must-have tools every new gardener should start with • Hidden ge...

🍠🌿 Beetroot might just be one of the most underrated crops on the allotment — and in this episode, we’re celebrating its flavour, versatility, and the joy of cooking with your own homegrown treasures. We’ll chat through: • How to harvest beetroot at the perfect size • Why homegrown beetroot tastes miles better than shop-bought • The best ways to store beetroot for winter • Simple, delicious beet...

🌿🌸 Fuchsias and lavender are two of the easiest and most rewarding plants to propagate — and in this episode, we’re diving into everything you need to know to grow endless new plants for free. From creating perfect softwood cuttings to keeping them healthy as they root, this episode is packed with practical tips you can try straight away on your allotment or in your garden. We’ll chat through: •...

🌹🌿 Roses are the queens of the allotment and garden — and when you look after them well, they reward you with months of continuous blooms. In this episode, we dive into the essential skills of deadheading and supporting climbing roses, helping you get the very best from your plants. We’ll chat through: • Why deadheading roses boosts repeat flowering • The right place to snip for more blooms • Ho...

🌱✨ There’s something incredibly special about harvesting peas — the smell of the vines, the snap of the pods, and the sweetness of fresh peas straight from the plant. In this episode, we’re celebrating the simple joy of a productive allotment Saturday focused on picking one of the most rewarding crops of summer. We’ll chat through: • How to tell when peas are perfectly ready to pick • The best t...

🌞🌿 July is bursting with colour, growth, and opportunity — and this episode gives you the top gardening secrets to make your allotment thrive during peak summer. From fast-growing veg to clever watering tips, we break down everything worth doing this month. We’ll chat through: • The best crops to plant, sow, and grow in July • Fast growers that fill empty spaces quickly • Shade tricks for seedli...

🌞🌿 July is one of the most vibrant and productive months in the gardening calendar — and this episode gives you the ultimate to-do list to keep your allotment thriving through the summer heat. From watering routines to fast-growing crops, here’s everything you need to stay ahead. We’ll chat through: • The essential July jobs to keep plants healthy • Watering tips to save time and reduce stress •...

🌿✨ June is one of the most magical months on the allotment — everything is growing, producing, flowering, and bursting with life. In this episode, we take a walk through the very best June gardening gems happening on the plot right now. We’ll chat through: • Early summer harvests: strawberries, peas, broad beans & new potatoes • The flowers that shine in June and how to keep them blooming •...

🌱📏 A dream allotment doesn’t happen by accident — it comes from a clear, thoughtful plan that fits your space, your lifestyle, and your gardening goals. In this episode, we walk through the exact steps to create an allotment plan that works beautifully for YOU. We’ll cover: • How to assess your current plot — the honest starting point • Choosing the right layout for productivity & ease • Sun...

🦔🌿 A thriving allotment isn’t just about plants — it’s a home for wildlife too. In this episode, we explore the simple, powerful ways you can support nature on your plot all year round. We’ll chat through: • The best ways to attract birds, bees & butterflies • How to provide food, water & shelter through the seasons • Creating wildlife zones without losing growing space • Natural pest co...

🌞🌿 There’s nothing quite like a June weekend on the allotment — warm sunshine, buzzing wildlife, rapid growth, and that early summer magic in every corner. In this episode, we take you on a relaxing, joyful journey around the plot and share all the highlights of a perfect June weekend. We’ll chat through: • The early-summer crops bursting with flavour — peas, strawberries, new potatoes • The flo...

🌞🔥 When the summer sun is blazing, your allotment comes alive — but it also needs a little extra care. In this episode, we dive into all the essential tips for gardening during hot weather, keeping plants happy, hydrated, and thriving under the summer sizzle. We’ll chat through: • Smart watering routines to beat evaporation • Shade tricks for tender plants and seedlings • Heat-loving veg to grow...

🌽🥕 Harvest time is here — and it’s one of the most rewarding moments in the gardening calendar. In this episode, we celebrate the first big harvests of the season and share practical tips to help you pick, store, and enjoy your allotment-grown treasures. We’ll chat through: • The early-season crops ready for picking now • How to tell when veg is perfectly ripe • Best harvesting techniques to avo...

🥒🌱 From tiny seeds to crisp, flavour-packed cucumbers — this episode walks you through the entire cucumber growing journey! Whether you’re growing them in a polytunnel, greenhouse, or outdoors on the allotment, you’ll learn exactly how to get the healthiest plants and the biggest harvests. We’ll chat through: • The best cucumber varieties for the UK climate • How to sow seeds for strong, disease...

🌿💚 Gardening doesn’t just grow plants — it grows peace, balance, and clarity. In this calming episode, we explore how spending time in the garden or allotment can support your mental wellbeing, reduce stress, and create moments of real mindfulness. We’ll talk through: • How gardening boosts mood and reduces anxiety • The grounding power of soil, nature, and fresh air • Why simple tasks like wate...

🌱✨ Welcome to a brand-new weekly chat on all things gardening and allotment life! In this episode of Growing Together, we dive into the wins, challenges, seasonal tasks, and stories that connect us as gardeners. Each week, we’ll explore: • What’s happening on the allotment right now • Seasonal gardening tips for UK growers • Mistakes, lessons, and little victories from the week • Questions and s...

🌼🌿 Join me for a special episode as we explore the magic, inspiration, and garden creativity at BBC Gardeners’ World Live 2024! From stunning show gardens to top expert talks and the latest must-have tools, this episode brings you along for the full experience. We’ll chat through: • The standout show gardens and planting ideas • New trends spotted for 2024 • My favourite garden designs & fea...

🌻🌞 Want to grow sunflowers taller than your shed and bigger than your head? In this episode, we dive into everything you need to know to grow truly massive sunflowers in your garden or allotment — the kind that stop people in their tracks! We’ll talk through: • The best giant sunflower varieties to choose • How to prepare nutrient-rich soil for monster growth • The secret timing for sowing sunfl...

🌱✨ Every great harvest begins with one simple thing — a smart seed start. In this episode, we dive into everything you need to know to give your seeds the very best beginning, whether you’re growing on the allotment, in a greenhouse, or on a sunny windowsill. We’ll chat through: • Choosing quality seeds (and how to avoid duds!) • The best compost and seed-starting mixes • Ideal sowing depth and...