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

Welcome to the Q&A episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ for June, where Sarah & Josie answer listeners’ burning questions. In June’s episode, it’s the month of roses so we hear from our resident ‘Rose Queen’ how best to maintain them and whether or not they need deadheading.  Sarah also shares the harvesting highlights of the edible garden, and we look at how best to maintain all your pla...

The careful composition of colour is a particularly joyful part of designing any garden, and choosing the right combination of palettes is among Sarah’s gardening pillars. Whether you’re a new listener to ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ or simply need a refresher, this episode is a fantastic foray into Sarah’s four palettes, and how best to combine the standout flowers from each. In this episode, disco...

June brings us the weather that we’ve been waiting so long to indulge in, so what should we focus on in the garden to help it thrive in the sunlit warmth? In this monthly episode, Josie Lewis shares the biennials you should be sowing to plug next year’s May gap, and Sarah lauds the appearance of rhubarb with a lovely cordial recipe. We also look at a new way that we’ve developed for picking sweet...

Since we’re still in the joyous wake of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, it’s a perfect time to see the show through the eyes of a newcomer to gardening and explore its greatest lessons. As the leader of our new range aimed at beginner gardeners, and a huge part in our presence at the show this year, Jemima Bowker returns to the podcast this week to share her RHS Chelsea Flower Show experience, and wh...

This year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show has been an extraordinary display of floral beauty, and it’s been a pleasure for our hut to have been a part of the show. Fresh from the show, Sarah & Arthur take this week’s special podcast episode to bring you Chelsea’s highlights, and the months-long and years-long stories behind them. In this episode, discover: The joys of the Sarah Raven stand, from bal...

May is all about the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and we’ll be bringing the abundant beauty of Perch Hill’s cutting garden to our trade stand. That’s why in this week’s ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Sarah and Arthur are taking an exciting look forward to our spot at the show, the hard work it’s taken to prepare, and highlights of what you can expect to see across the week-long spectacle. In this episode...

Welcome to May’s monthly Q&A podcast, where once again Sarah & Josie chime in with answers to listeners’ burning questions. This time round, Josie shares the key to propagating the stunning Dianthus ‘Green Wicky’, and we explain what you should do with spring bulbs now that they’ve gone over - and it’s not to throw them away! Also in this month’s episode, it’s dahlia planting time and Josi...

The Victorian era gave the horticultural world one of the most charming designs for the cloche, or cold frame - a charm that’s being renewed by the wonderful Beth Gregg. Arthur Parkinson hails Beth as the ‘Goddess of Cloches’ through her faithful revival of those original designs with Claverton Cloches.  In this week’s ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, learn what earns the cloche its spot in any garden,...

The 4th of May marks a very special day at Perch Hill, particularly this year - it’s 30 years since Sarah and Adam first arrived and started making history here. Perch Hill looks so vastly different to how it began in 1994, as it’s taken shape over the decades, and in this week’s ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ Sarah & Adam share stories from their time here so far, the many phases that Perch Hill...

With overnight frosts receding, the opportunities in your garden throughout May are among the most exciting all year. For May’s ‘Monthly Jobs’ episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, join Sarah and Josie for a run through the month’s most exciting errands, from planting out half-hardy dahlias and tomatoes, to preparing your pots, and how to handle the influx of slugs and snails.. See our events: ht...

With spring racing onwards, the window in which to plant out your half-hardy seeds is upon us, and it’s a time that should spark joy in the imaginations of veg gardeners. This week on grow, cook, eat, arrange, half-hardy vegetables take centre stage - Sarah takes us through the 6 must-have categories of veg, and shares an array of mouth-watering recipes perfect for the avid kitchen gardener. In th...

Early May is on its way, bringing a fresh bloom of fragrant and fabulous flowers. It’s this abundance of impact and perfume on which Simon Lycett thrives. His style of floristry is so striking, and one from which we cannot fail but to learn - Simon joins us to share his highlights of the spring season and how you can choose the perfect varieties to create your own stunning arrangements. In this ep...

Welcome back to our monthly Q&A podcast episodes for April, where Sarah and Josie answer questions from you, our lovely listeners. In this month’s episode, Sarah turns her attention to sweet peas as she shares how deep to sow seeds, and how far apart to sow them based on our trials at Perch Hill. Also this month, we hear which plants are ideal for planting out in April, particularly those that...

For any organic gardener, companion planting is one of the most essential, rewarding and productive ways to ward off bugs and fungal infections. As the seasons are beginning to turn, it’s a wonderful time to recap the importance and joy of companion planting - Sarah is joined once again by Arthur Parkinson, where we revisit classic combinations, and share some unconventional pairings that you migh...

For those with a vegetable garden, The Pig’s offering is a source of inspiration and envy among many, all of which thrives under the watchful eye of Group Head Gardener, Ollie Hutson. This week’s ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ brings us a fantastic array of tips and recipes to take from Ollie’s expertise and bring into our own growing and cooking, drawing on a love of the natural world that’s spanned...

Light levels are increasing and life in the garden is well and truly bustling, which makes this time of year such a joyful one for gardeners!  Returning to our ‘Monthly Jobs’ series, this month’s episode sees Sarah & Josie share which flowers and edibles are perfect for sowing at this stage of the year, as well as how to revitalise your whopper pots once the Tulips go over. See our events: htt...

Knepp plays host to one of the most breathtaking rewilding projects in Britain, and from it we can take such inspiration to channel into our own green spaces. Sharing the evolution of the project from its initial thousand species and how you can encourage biodiversity in your garden is Charlie Harpur - Knepp’s Head Gardener joins Sarah this week alongside her husband, Adam Nicolson. In this episod...

Our Events and Horti Marketing Manager, Jemima Bowker has been gardening for a few years now, and her perspective on the floral world is shared by many a beginner gardener. That’s why this week’s ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ is dedicated to the 12 flowers that are absolutely essential for newcomers to gardening. From the fast growers to the fragrant showstoppers, this episode is brimming with simple...

Welcome back to the March Q&A podcast episodes, in which Sarah and Josie are once again answering your burning questions. This time around, we’re looking at pinching out seedlings like cosmos, whether they should be pinched out when they’re tall and leggy, and if there are certain seedlings which shouldn’t be pinched. Also in this episode, you’ll discover a short, sweet and stunning selection...

One of gardening’s great joys is sowing from seed, planting out and seeing those seeds thrive, and this year brings a lovely variety of new favourites to sow. Arthur joins Sarah this week as we look at which new stunners and old favourites you’ll want to sow this year, and when to plant out each variety for them to deliver maximum glamour.  In this episode, discover: A delicious selection of edibl...

Over the course of the podcast, we’ve featured a huge number of remarkable women, inspiring the world in everything from natural-style textiles to award-winning garden design. In this very special episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, we bring you a selection of our favourite clips from previous episodes, shining a light on the fabulous female horticulturalists and entrepreneurs leading the way i...

Welcome to the first of March’s Q&A podcast episodes, where Head Gardener Josie Lewis joins Sarah to directly answer questions from our listeners. In this month’s episode, we look at the plant varieties best suited to pots with consideration for both small tabletop and larger floor pots, Sarah & Josie share the Dahlias that they’d most recommend growing from seed, and we discover the perfe...

Whether you’re growing edibles or ornamentals, March is a busy month for getting into the garden. Building on our ‘Monthly Jobs’ series so far, Sarah & Josie return to share what you should focus on in March. In this month’s episode, learn which of the edible crops are ready to sow out as soon as possible, from your chitted potatoes to your half-hardy veg, discover which flowers need planting...

The spring and summer ahead of us is a glorious opportunity to let our gardens sing with colours anew, and in this week’s podcast, Sarah & Arthur share how to select the very best for your space. The Spring & Summer Catalogue takes centre stage on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, as we hear about the best brand new collections, some of Arthur’s stalwart favourites, and which of this year’s flor...

Trees hold a special place in our ecosystem not only for their environmental impact, but the emotional connection we all make with trees in our earliest years. It’s for exactly these reasons that choosing the right tree can enrich any garden, regardless of size. Arit Anderson and Henrik Sjöman have combined their passions and expertise, culminating in ‘The Essential Tree Selection Guide’, and the...