grow, cook, eat, arrange with Sarah Raven & friends

Savannah Miller’s newfound passion for growing cut flowers, in particular dahlias, feeds fantastically into her contemporary bridal designs. In this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Sarah and Savannah discuss her successful career in fashion, an unexpected foray into bridal design, and her newfound joy in growing cut flowers and vegetables. Plus, discover Savannah’s top picks for the easiest...

Be it a fully fledged kitchen garden, or a few window boxes outside your back door, It’s never too early to start planning which edibles you want to grow for the season ahead. Following last week’s flower-focused episode, this week’s ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ continues the sowing theme to highlight Sarah’s top pick of outstanding edibles to grow from seed from the beginning of the year, through t...

There are few more therapeutic jobs in the potting shed or polytunnel than sowing seeds, and if you’re looking to fill your spring garden with colourful cut flowers, now is the time to start sowing your standout varieties. In the first of two back-to-back episodes of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Sarah turns her attention to the cut flowers she’ll be sowing from early January onwards, working week b...

For those who garden, whether on a windowsill or on a grander scale, it soon becomes a source of inspiration, passion and peace. A way to ground and find solace and, increasingly, a test of resilience and adaptability too. In a reversal of the usual ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ format, journalist and broadcaster Alex Clark turns guest question master to steer the conversation on Sarah’s journey into...

Every Ottolenghi book is a gift, filled with a treasure trove of unique recipes and the latest, Comfort – perfectly timed for Christmas feasting – is no exception. In fact, by the end of this week’s episode you may well be rethinking your own festive menu… A self-confessed Ottolenghi fan, Sarah is joined Verena Lochmuller and Tara Wigley – two of the co-authors of Comfort , the latest Ottolenghi c...

Christmas is one of the most joyous times of the year, and sustainability need not detract from that joy. With a little bit of forethought, we can all enjoy a colourful and creative celebration that respects our planet too. Sarah is a passionate advocate for sustainability, so in this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ she shares some of the most exciting, naturally sourced and low impact ways...

Welcome to the December Q&A episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, where Sarah & Josie answer questions sent in by our lovely listeners each month.  In this episode, Josie shares how best to create your dream garden from one that you’ve just moved into, and enlightens us on what constitutes part-shade and full-sun, so that we can plant our flowers where they’re best suited. Sarah also give...

Christmas is only a few short weeks away, and while the garden may be winding down into winter mode, it’s the perfect time to spread joy to green-fingered friends with some well-considered gifts and elegant decorations. With Arthur joining Sarah this week for an exciting journey through the pages of our latest Christmas catalogue, Sarah explains why she’s more excited by this year’s festive range...

The garden winds down in December, but there’s still a few small jobs that’ll stand it in good stead for the year to come. In this monthly episode of ‘grow, cook, eat arrange’, Sarah takes us through which bulbs can be forced now, and an experimental watering technique, while Josie runs down the winter pruning plans and why it’s not too late to plant your tulips. See our events: https://www.sarahr...

Dominic Rose holds multiple roles; Chair of Sarah Raven, self-appointed ‘amateur gardener’, and leading advocate in bringing biodiversity to the residential gardens and back yards of Britain. In our 200th episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Dominic unpacks his ambitions for ‘Britain’s Biggest Living Garden’ – a community action project in North London’s Hampstead Garden Suburb – and explains ho...

Gardening is a diverse pursuit, and there’s no shortage of tools and kit that can help transform horticultural chores into an easier, more pleasurable experience. In this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Perch Hill’s Josie Lewis joins Sarah to look back over the gardening year and nominate the top 10 desert island tools that no gardener should live without. In this episode, discover: Tools a...

Butterflies and bees can only thrive in a garden with a ‘living buffet’ to which they can flock, which is why biodiversity is the hot topic for Sarah and Arthur in this latest episode of grow, cook, eat, arrange. Reflecting on a year in which pollinators have struggled and needed particular support, they share the best plant varieties for bringing a much-needed buzz into your gardens, and discuss...

Welcome to the November Q&A episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, where Sarah & Josie answer questions sent in by our lovely listeners each month.  In this episode, Sarah answers timely questions on forced bulbs and whether it’s too late to plant them now for Christmas, as well as the things you can still sow at this time of year. Meanwhile, Josie gives us a crash course on bare root plan...

Please be aware: This episode contains sensitive discussion about animal death and stillbirth, which some may find upsetting. Seasonality is a powerful quality in any recipe, to which the abundance of delicious culinary ideas in Julius Roberts’ new book ‘The Farm Table’ is perfect testament. We explore Julius’ journey as a chef, farmer, grower and author on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ this week, in...

November signals a real turn in the weather, and this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat arrange’ is a perfect collation of all the jobs you should consider to prepare your garden for the impending season. Sarah gives a rundown of the tasks at the top of her mind, from sowing pea tips and lovely scented sweet peas, to preparing paperwhite narcissus for planters. Elsewhere in the garden, Josie nudges us t...

Even in smaller, urban gardens and balcony spaces, you can breathe life into them with charming pots and bulb lasagnes Curating her own balcony garden with that vision of city-bound colour in mind, Jemima Bowker returns to ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ this week to share with Sarah how she’s taking on the challenge of small space gardening for the autumn months, with fantastic tips aplenty for those...

Biodiversity thrives on the presence of hedges, and autumn presents a wonderful time to get them planted, bringing a beautiful birdsong into your garden. Adam Nicolson joins Sarah for this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, sharing his ever-bountiful knowledge on all things biodiversity, and which hedges are perfect protection for an enchanting ensemble of birds and butterflies. In this episod...

In this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Sarah is joined by celebrity hair stylist and keen gardener Sam McKnight MBE. Sam shares with Sarah his passion for gardening and how he indulges the solitude of the garden, as well as his fabulous career journey. Sam McKnight MBE is one of the most influential and celebrated hair stylists in the world today. His ethos ‘to empower women through hair’...

Sarah Raven is now certified B Corp, a delightful announcement as an industry-first within the online retail gardening industry. For those unfamiliar with the certification, this special bonus episode talks through the many reasons that B Corp status matters, and what it means for both us as a company, and you as gardeners. Sarah shares what makes us a B Corp, why biodiversity, sustainability and...

Welcome to the October Q&A episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, where Sarah & Josie answer questions sent in by our lovely listeners each month.  In this episode, Sarah shares which of the bulbs you should plant out as soon as you receive them and why, and Josie talks through when you should mulch dahlias if you’re not lifting them over winter. Josie also covers everything you need to kn...

It’s prime bulb-planting time, and top of mind for Sarah right now is a stunning collection of colourful, inspiring bulbs to plant. This week’s episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ is a must-listen for bulb fanatics, as Sarah talks us through her desert island bulbs, how to plant for colour succession in the spring months, and the delightful stories behind how some of Sarah’s favourite bulbs were...

Welcome to the last of our floristry mini-series, perfect for any social affair - Sarah takes you through how to compose a stunning arrangement in a bowl for table flowers. Step by step, you’ll see how she creates a natural scaffold through which the display emerges, and shares some of her favourite flowers and foliage to work with in an arrangement that’s both gorgeous and utterly relaxed. Produc...

Flowers have been used in cooking for centuries, but there’s an art to the edible flower with which many of us are yet to experiment.  It’s this art which is central to Carolyn Dunster’s latest book - this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ sees Arthur Parkinson explore Carolyn’s journey with edibles, the simplest and best varieties to grow yourself, and some marvellous recipe ideas to try at h...

Welcome to the latest in the Be Your Own Florist Mini-Series, this time showing you how to craft a stunning display in a vase. Any vase can be turned into a gorgeous arrangement, but Sarah shows how best to use the flared neck and wide belly of a vase like our own ‘Favourite Jade Vase’, bringing bombastic structure to your arrangement both upwards and outwards. Products mentioned: Favourite Jade V...

As days shorten and the cold rolls in, we’re prompted to undertake some key jobs in the garden this month, so join Sarah and Josie for October’s most important tasks in this special episode. Sarah and Josie share the need to plant out the likes of hardy annual salad leaves, and biennials if you’ve sown them already. They also touch on the need to harvest your pumpkins and squash, plus the perfect...