Gardening with the RHS

Our trusty team of gardening experts answers questions on growing rhubarb, pears and strawberries. Plus we hear about a new RHS study on honey fungus and botanist James Armitage unearths more horticultural histories in his latest Wisley Plant Encounter. Listen out too for some of the seasonal highlights from our hundreds of partner gardens, as selected by Garden Visits Editor Sian Thomas.

We visit the RHS London Autumn Garden Show to hear expert advice on growing an edible forest garden, growing avocado plants and some imaginative ideas on floristry from the RHS Floral Artist in Residence. We’re also joined by bird and wildlife enthusiast Bill Oddie who recalls memories of the gardens of his youth and how they inspired his love of birds.

Wisley's Curator Matthew Pottage shares seasonal gardening tips and gives us an update on all the exciting new developments that are transforming RHS Garden Wisley. We visit the RHS London Harvest Festival Show to hear growing tips and fascinating ideas for uses of garlic. Plus, botanist James Armitage unearths an ancient larch tree with a mysterious past in his latest Wisley Plant Encounter.

We visit Wisley's stunning new Exotic Garden to discover the plants that give it such a tropical ambience, and get tips of how to get the look at home. Wildlife expert Kate Bradbury makes the case for being relaxed about autumn tidy-ups to provide habitats for overwintering wildlife. Meanwhile at the Lindley Library, we discover an exhibition of the RHS's remarkable 200-year project to protect her...

Wisley’s fruit specialists join the advisory team to answer listeners' questions, including poorly strawberries, maggoty apples and rotten tomatoes. We also visit RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Essex to discover the amazing wildlife that now shares our easternmost garden, and botanist James Armitage concludes his ongoing series of Wisley plant encounters.

Chickpeas, yard-long beans and shark's fin melons... all on a windy hilltop near Chelmsford... we visit RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Essex to hear some inspirational Grow Your Own ideas from their new Global Growth Vegetable Garden. We also hear about some of the latest research the RHS has conducted in the Plant For Bugs project and as usual we have all the latest on events across our RHS Gardens.

We visit RHS Garden Hyde Hall to discover a garden undergoing an incredible transformation, with huge new meadows linking it to the surrounding countryside. The RHS advisory team is back to answer listeners' seasonal questions including distorted leaves on fuchsias, moving roses, which tulips will come back next year and how to deal with whitefly. Plus we hear the latest instalment in botanist Jam...

Curator Matt Pottage shares his personal highlights from RHS Garden Wisley this summer, and reveals how the redevelopment of the garden is progressing. Wildlife expert Kate Bradbury visits Chapel End Early Years Centre in East London to discover low-cost ways of encouraging wild creatures, and owner of a pioneering French nursery shares his tips for getting the best out of your orchids.

In this edition we have a focus on slugs - how to identify different species and how they can actually help your garden. We also have news on family events across all four RHS Gardens as well as the latest in our continuing series of Wisley Plant Encounters. The RHS advisory experts answer this month’s listeners' questions covering topics such as summer pruning of wisteria, growing courgettes and...

This week's edition comes from the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, where BBC's Hairy Bikers share their love of edible gardening in the RHS Kitchen Garden, created by award-winning designer Juliet Sargeant. Plus we discover cunning designs aimed at coping with climate change, and reconnecting children with nature through play.

We visit the RHS Chatsworth Flower Show in Derbyshire for some expert advice on gardening in a changing climate and moveable gardens. Botanist James Armitage reads the latest in his series of Wisley Plant Encounters, discovering some of the garden's more unusual residents.

If you’re interested in gardening, why not grow your knowledge with the RHS? Anyone can learn with us; whether you’d like to take a day course to find out how to prune your apple tree or become a fully-qualified gardener, we can help. Hear stories from people whose lives have been transformed by getting into horticulture in this special edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast.

We go behind the scenes at the Chelsea Flower Show to speak to the unsung show garden heroes and find out what it really takes to make a medal-winning show garden. We also catch up on this year’s RHS Photographic Competition and meet the lucky winners of the Greening Grey Britain garden.

As this year’s gardens take shape, we visit the RHS Chelsea Flower Show to meet the designers. These include the brand-new, sensory Feel Good Gardens, created in conjunction with BBC Radio 2 DJs and celebrities including Jo Whiley and Jo Malone. Plus we have seasonal expert advice on questions including poorly-looking tomato plants and a wisteria whose flowers have changed colour.

Botanist James Armitage continues his series of Wisley Plant Encounters with a look at a tree peony with a back-story that spans the globe. Team leader Sam Gallivan explains where the missing plants at Wisley have gone; and following a major new report, the horticultural advisors discuss what climate change means for gardeners. Useful links: Gardening in a Changing Climate report Wisley Plant Enco...

Let your gardening imagination run riot at our world-famous flower shows this year. In this special edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast, we meet people behind the shows including designers, judges and show managers to find out what’s in store for 2017 and look back at the highlights of 2016.

Our gardening experts help listeners with queries including rabbit-proof plants, tulips with no flowers and dealing with a lopsided plum tree. We meet the manager of the Chelsea Flower Show to find out about BBC Radio 2's new Feel Good Gardens, and we celebrate 30 years of the RHS Plant Finder. Plus, botanist James Armitage continues his series of Wisley Plant Encounters (open full description for...

Hear the latest on the redevelopments at Wisley with Curator Matthew Pottage and find out about the huge range of events at RHS Gardens over the Easter holidays. We visit Angell Town to find out if the residents are still enjoying their relocated 'Greening Grey Britain' Chelsea Show Garden from last year, and discover how you can win plants from a garden at this year's Chelsea Flower Show.

We visit the fruit and vegetable gardens at Wisley to find out what seasonal jobs the gardeners are up to. Following on from episode 100, we discover which plant diseases plagued gardeners the most last year. Entomologist Anna Platoni shares tips on how to encourage native butterflies into the garden, while botanist James Armitage heads into the woods on the trail of beautiful vampire.

With the recent release of the RHS top 10 pests and diseases 2016 list, our horticultural advisors get together to help gardeners deal with these troubles. Topics covered include small trees that are resistant to honey fungus, slugs and snails, vine weevils and fuchsia gall mite. We also discuss raised beds and seasonal gardening jobs to help you get ahead this spring.

Do you have problems with your pots or suffer complications with your containers? Luckily help is at hand as our RHS gardening advisors and scientists sit down to help listeners get the best from their potted plant treasures. Topics include which compost to use, how to deal with pests and diseases and to crock or not to crock!

Our gardening experts help listeners with queries including how to use plants to tackle air pollution, dealing with an ugly concrete path, making gardens hedgehog-friendly and what to do if your hellebore won't flower. We also discover the wide range of educational opportunities on offer for adults looking to pursue a career in horticulture.

We’re at Wisley to see some of the highlights of the garden in winter including an update on the Winter Walk, butterflies in the Glasshouse and Bernard Boardman gives his expert guide to building the perfect pond.

As we welcome in 2017, we hear the latest news about redevelopments at RHS Garden Wisley from curator Matthew Pottage, plus the RHS Advisory Team are on hand to tackle some tricky new year gardening questions - including composting fallen fruit, caring for African violets and a sticky problem with a star jasmine. Plus all the latest on events across our four gardens.

In our final 2016 edition of the RHS Gardening Podcast, the team revisit some favourite interviews from a busy and productive year at the Royal Horticultural Society - from the winning designers at the Chelsea Flower Show, invaluable advice from our expert Horticultural Advisors, words of inspiration from RHS Ambassador for young people, Baroness Floella Benjamin and our community project at Angel...