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

Welcome to the next Q&A episode for February, where Sarah & Josie answer even more of your questions for a bountiful spring garden! In this episode, we learn how to split Dahlia tubers once they’ve grown extremely large, round up the best flowers for long-lasting beauty throughout the spring, and touch on the ways to create your own complementary collections of flowers. Be sure to leave yo...

Over 380 pots call Perch Hill home, and bring such joy and seasonal splendour, which makes Sarah’s latest book a must-read for anyone hoping to do the same in their own space. Sarah’s joined by Arthur once again on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, this week to share the inspirations behind her love of pots, her simple approach to beautifully combining colour palettes, and the huge range of subjects cov...

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and for those looking to bring a floral flair to their gift-giving this year, Sarah and Arthur’s shortlist is full of delightful ideas. As you’d expect there’s a varied selection of flowers beyond the traditional roses, and other ways to bring joy to your loved ones with mini-landscapes and pins to keep one’s favourite flowers and animals close. In this episode...

Welcome to the first of February’s Q&A podcast episodes, addressing questions directly from our listeners with Sarah Raven and Josie Lewis. Kicking off the month, we’ve a timely question on moving seedlings outside when they’ve been in a window propagator, and Sarah shares her golden rule to prevent sweet peas from developing a ‘gangly’ appearance. We also hear the latest on ‘dahlia gall’, wit...

A desirable feature in so many plants is their ability to bring beauty to the garden for as long as possible, and in this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ we’re focusing on 12 of the very best. From stunning showstoppers to rampant climbers with gorgeous scent, Sarah is joined this week by Head Gardener Josie Lewis to discuss the 12 best long-performing flowers. In this episode, discover: Whi...

Join Sarah Raven and Perch Hill’s Head Gardener, Josie Lewis, for a rundown of February’s essential gardening jobs. In the next of this mini-series leading you through the month’s most important tasks, we run through the flower groups that need sowing soon, how to keep your potatoes growing, and what wildlife to look out for - plus plenty more to keep you busy throughout February! See our events:...

The humble pond is a staggering ecosystem in itself, and supports much of the creatures surrounding it, making any garden pond a wonderful place for wildlife to thrive. Steve Head returns to the podcast this week with a rousing call to action for us all to create our own ponds, great or small. He shares the value they bring, why one shouldn’t be concerned about a pond’s size, and the gorgeous arra...

Welcome back to the latest in our exciting new Q&A podcast episodes, where Sarah and Josie share their expertise on your top gardening queries. This time round, we’re looking at whether it’s safe to move a well-established peony tree without damaging it, and Josie’s curious new revelation for the perfect number of bulbs in any sized container. Get involved with future episodes by posing Sarah...

Rural life in a farming home owes a great deal to the unsung work of those who support it behind the scenes, a fact that’s captured beautifully in Helen Rebanks’ new book, The Farmer’s Wife. Sarah chats with Helen this week to hear some of the stories woven from the wider farming community’s work, and a few of the book’s recipes, which follow Helen’s refreshingly honest and simple cooking style. I...

In the early months of the year, gardeners are faced with particularly challenging weather conditions, requiring care and attention to keep your garden thriving through the frost and snow. This episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ centres around the things you can do to keep your garden glowing amid the battering winds and relentless rain - Josie Lewis joins Sarah to share her top tips. In this e...

We’re excited to bring a new regular series to grow, cook, eat, arrange in 2024 enabling you to ask questions directly to Sarah. Just pop us a message on the podcast review pages, email or our social media posts, and keep an eye (or ear!) out for Sarah’s response in our regular Q&A episodes. In this first edition, Josie joins Sarah to answer the best way of growing sweet peas and why shrubs an...

Our gardens, humble as they may seem, are among the country’s most important havens for biodiversity, and there are few greater champions for biodiversity than Dr Steve Head. Steve joins Sarah on this podcast episode alongside Adam Nicolson to share how the intermediate level of disturbance that we naturally give our gardens makes them so wonderful for wildlife. In this episode, discover: How Sara...

Join Sarah Raven and Perch Hill’s Head Gardener, Josie to create your very own check list of gardening jobs to tackle in January.  Whether you’re planning your gardening goals for the New Year, or need inspiration to get outside during the winter months, this short, digestible episode provides practical advice on making the most of your outdoor space in January.  Sarah and Josie discuss covering r...

Join Sarah Raven and Arthur Parkinson as they reflect upon what they cherished most in their gardens this year, and what they’ll explore in 2024 - from sowing more stunning sweet peas, to taking a wonderfully wildlife-focused view on the garden. In this episode of grow, cook, eat, arrange you’ll discover: Sarah and Arthur’s New Year Resolution. The simple pleasure of gardening for health & wel...

Welcome back to “grow, cook, eat, arrange” and a very Merry Christmas to you all!  In this festive episode, Sarah welcomes back Arthur Parkinson to dive into the enchanting world of Christmas decorating.  They offer a plethora of creative ideas to bring warmth and joy to your home during the winter months.  In this episode, discover: Arthur’s clever use of mirror to double the impact of your decor...

This episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ is one for the rose-lovers at a time when it’s ideal to start pruning, and there are few voices better suited to weigh in on roses than our own Josie Lewis. Josie joins Arthur this week, as we hear her top tips on growing and pruning, the benefits of companion planting, which varieties have been standout favourites among Josie’s trials, and much more. In...

This week’s guest on the podcast is revered for her namesake’s brand, but away from fashion & homeware, Cath Kidston is embracing the aroma of scented-leaf pelargoniums in her new brand, C.Atherley. Cath joins Sarah for a lovely conversation about her new brand, discovery of her favourite pelargoniums, and tips on propagating them in your garden. In this episode, discover: Cath’s discovery of...

This week’s episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ centres around not only the charm of gardening for beginners, but bringing that charm indoors with our wonderful guest, Votary & Verden’s Arabella Preston. She takes us through the muses for her nature-inspired beauty and wellness brands, shares how she found the joy of gardening, and which flower varieties are ideal for newcomers. In this epis...

Pollinators’ role in our gardens is a vital one, and the work being done by Bees for Development is making a global impact for these essential species, and the countries in which they work. Martha Kearney and Nicola Bradbear play a huge role in Bees for Development’s work, and join Sarah on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ to share the extent of their involvement, and how we can all aid the plight of po...

The time to decorate your home for Christmas is cheerily hurtling towards us, making this week’s episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ the perfect chance to peruse new decorations. Arthur joins us once more on the podcast as he and Sarah share their joyful highlights from our range, helping you to bring that yuletide sparkle to life both in the garden and within your home. In this episode, discove...

Arthur Parkinson’s evocative, elaborate descriptions of plants might be second only to his ability to elicit a charming image of garden pollinators through his drawings. His latest book is a celebration of every single garden, and the plants perfect to create ‘a living dance of lavish colours’ - it’s a delight to have him return to the podcast to share how the new book, Planting a Paradise, was br...

Carien van Boxtel’s appearance on the podcast last week was a delightful insight into her incredible eye for naturalising, and she turns that eye this week to woodlands. Joining Sarah once again, she shares her 12 top varieties to naturalise any woodland area, whether you’re longing to walk through aromatic pastures or colourful bursts of productive flower families. In this episode, discover: Cari...

Bringing the haphazard beauty of nature into your own space is a charming prospect, and Carien van Boxtel has an incredible eye for naturalising grassland. This week on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ Carien joins Sarah to share her 12 top bulbs for year-round naturalising - with plenty of bonus varieties along the way - and her three essential tips for perfect planting. In this episode, discover: What...

Few plants can envelop you in your garden with such naturalised beauty as climbers, and there are varieties fit to keep that adventurous atmosphere year-round. Sarah is joined this week by Gary Newell to run through 12 of the finest climbing families, with some old favourites like Cobaea Scandens to newcomers like Mrs Amy Doncaster. In this episode, discover: Features of the stunning Honeysuckles...

We often tout the picturesque beauty of the horticultural world through our favourite flowers on this show, but few can capture a moment with the same artistic flair as accomplished painter, Francis Hamel. Perch Hill features in his latest, utterly captivating exhibition entitled Thirty Gardens, alongside some of our other favourites, and Francis joins us to share just how he captures the envelopi...