Growing Up Podcast

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Kate is joined by her sister on the podcast to talk about how why she doesn't garden, what she feels are barriers to beginning her growing journey, and together they plan her perfect growing space. The Growing Up Podcast is proudly sponsored by the amazing First Tunnels.  We are big believers in the benefits of growing in a polytunnel and genuinely believe in...

Send us Fan Mail Everything that you have ever wanted to know about polytunnels.  This week we deep dive into polytunnel growing.  Over the last few months, we've received loads of questions about building and growing within a polytunnel, and this week we wanted to answer those questions within one very geeky podcast episode. Put the kettle on, close the polytunnel door and join us for a deep...

Send us Fan Mail How did it get to October already?  In this episode, we talk through the jobs that we really think you should be doing in the garden during the month of October.  Join us as we enjoy a hot drink and plan out our gardening adventures and plans this month. The Growing Up Podcast is proudly sponsored by the amazing First Tunnels.  We are big believers in the benefits of growing in a...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we look back to the episodes we recorded back in January 2025, in which Andy and Kate both boldly made New Year's growing resolutions and sat down together with a cup of tea to plan the season ahead. Nine months later, in this week's episode, we listen back to our plans and ask how many of our resolutions came true this year so far. The Growing Up Podcas...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we chat and share our honest tips and advice for anyone who is thinking of starting a business in horticulture.  We don't sugarcoat this and talk really honestly about the realities of this idea. Andy often receives messages asking for advice about starting a business within the horticulture sector, so many messages that it is impossible to respond to all of t...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Andy attempts to convince you to join him in adopting an autumnal gardening mindset, of embracing the deceleration of growth and actually embarking on some gardening adventures this autumn. The Growing Up Podcast is proudly sponsored by the amazing First Tunnels.  We are big believers in the benefits of growing in a polytunnel and genuinely believe in the quality of the...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Kate takes us for an evening outing into the night garden.  It's a magical, special place and we wanted to spend a little time there. The Growing Up Podcast is proudly sponsored by the amazing First Tunnels.  We are big believers in the benefits of growing in a polytunnel and genuinely believe in the quality of the products that First Tunnels supply.  Check o...

Send us Fan Mail How did we get to September already? For us, this is such an exciting month, a time of change silhouetted in gorgeous low-level sunlight.  Grab yourself a mug, and join us as we chat through gardening jobs that you can be completing in the month of September. The Growing Up Podcast is proudly sponsored by the amazing First Tunnels.  We are big believers in the benefits of growing...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we chat to Lucie Ponsford of Mimosa Design about designing gardens for the future.  This is a seriously inspirational, hopeful chat about the future of garden design that provides a vision of new build gardens that are sustainable and anything but generic and boring. Find out more about Lucie and her work here: https://mimosagardendesign.com/ The Growing Up Podcas...

Send us Fan Mail At the beginning of our third season, we just wanted to take the time to reintroduce ourselves at your hosts. In our second-ever episode, Kate spoke very honestly about her journey and we wanted to update that story, almost two years later.  We talk about feeding carnivorous plants with spaghetti and the realities of dealing with a chronic illness while having fun growing things....

Send us Fan Mail When we began our podcast in Autumn 2023, we were both in a very different place, both professionally and personally.  We wanted to re-introduce ourselves at the beginning of our third season.  You are going to be listening to our voices a lot over the next year as we bring you monthly gardening advice and some amazing guests and we wanted to take this opportunity to re-introduce...

Send us Fan Mail Join us as we discuss the gardening jobs you can be busy doing in the month of August, as you juggle childcare, warm weather, mildew and Andy's singing halfway through this episode. Enjoy. The Growing Up Podcast is proudly sponsored by the amazing First Tunnels.  We are big believers in the benefits of growing in a polytunnel and genuinely believe in the quality of the produc...

Send us Fan Mail Join us as we mark the beginning of the third season of the Growing Up Podcast.  We look back at the incredible support that we've received for this slightly irreverent gardening chat and look forward to what we have lined up for you in season three. Oh, Andy also asks Kate what she would buy from the Garden Centre with one million pounds to spend.  Serious gardening journali...

Send us Fan Mail Andy has been so excited to record this episode. For a number of years we have become aware of the phenomenon of the 'second herb season' a time from mid to late summer when herbs once again become front and centre - filling gaps in our growing spaces and offering hardy alternative planting options as we begin to plan towards colder weather. What is the second herb seaso...

Send us Fan Mail July is a firework display in the garden, it's beautiful chaos in which the energy of growth is so beautiful, obvious and frenetic.  But amidst the joyful chaos of July there are so many jobs that you can do to really enhance your growth during the month of July and beyond. Join Andy and Kate for a fun, chilled-out chat about the July garden, slugs the size of cats, the joy o...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, you find Andy and Kate dealing with the realities of growing in a heatwave.  We took shelter in the podcast studio to share some heatwave gardening tips, to share the reality of working outside during high temperatures. But perhaps more importantly, we look forward to the second half of 2025. The Growing Up Podcast is proudly sponsored by the amazing First Tunnels...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we reflect on a week spent at Gardeners World LIVE.  Kate talks to a really inspirational lady who has built a beautiful show garden to be incredibly proud of - Jan of @ theflowermummysgarden   This chat went quite deep and we would love to hear your thoughts about show gardens and the role they play in inspiring and the effect they can have on us. The Growing Up P...

Send us Fan Mail Summer is a special time in the herb garden.  Join us as we dive deep into practical tips and tricks, herbs that you can grow and just how you can get the best from your summer herb garden. The Growing Up Podcast is proudly sponsored by the amazing First Tunnels.  We are big believers in the benefits of growing in a polytunnel and genuinely believe in the quality of the products t...

Send us Fan Mail Why can't we just grow English Mint? Why shouldn't you plant mint plants together and why doesn't Andy talk about his front garden food growing project any more?  We answer all of YOUR questions.  The Growing Up Podcast is proudly sponsored by the amazing First Tunnels.  We are big believers in the benefits of growing in a polytunnel and genuinely believe in the qua...

Send us Fan Mail In a surprisingly 'horticultural' episode Andy and Kate talk through the most important gardening jobs for June, in the flower garden, kitchen garden and in the greenhouse. Enjoy this episode and enjoy June guys. The Growing Up Podcast is proudly sponsored by the amazing First Tunnels.  We are big believers in the benefits of growing in a polytunnel and genuinely believe...

Send us Fan Mail In this very raw, personal episode we talk about the very real well-being benefits that growing things can bring.  This is a subject that is often talked about in a very abstract way, so much so that there is a risk of this becoming a cliche, something that we take for granted or even worse dismiss as 'virtue signalling'. We talk about real stories of hope that stem from...

Send us Fan Mail This week Andy and Kate chat about the hard realities but inspirational pay off of working in production horticulture and the inherent strangeness of the acceleration of growth in spring. The Growing Up Podcast is proudly sponsored by the amazing First Tunnels.  We are big believers in the benefits of growing in a polytunnel and genuinely believe in the quality of the products tha...

Send us Fan Mail We chat about just how important it is to keep sowing seeds during the month of May, what we are most excited about sowing in our own growing spaces and how Andy sometimes gives the impression he doesn't want to make money from selling herb plants. The Growing Up Podcast is proudly sponsored by the amazing First Tunnels.  We are big believers in the benefits of growing in a p...

Send us Fan Mail We have a big list of gardening jobs that need to be done during the month of May, but Andy and Kate decided to sit down, have a cup of tea and discuss them on this weeks' podcast episode before doing any of the hard work! Join us for this fun, light-hearted chat as we chat about the jobs to be done during the month of May. The Growing Up Podcast is proudly sponsored by the a...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we sit down with Dan, friend of the podcast and Head Gardner of Winterbourne House and Gardens to delve once again into the wonderful world of trees, where we talk about how tree scapes and woodlands were created in Victorian and Edwardian periods and how they are managed in public gardens such as Winterbourne. We also find out Dan's top four favourite trees,...