Growing Up Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Are you feeling a bit 'behind' in this very strange spring season that we are having here in the UK?   You aren't alone, but it's important to remember that we are all in the same boat, which is just as well given the amount of rain we've had. In this week's episode, Andy's Mum and Dad join us in the studio as we plan a new garden for them, and r...

Send us Fan Mail In this week's episode, we chat with  Kendall Marie Platt  about the importance of taking time for yourself and prioritising self-care through gardening.  We chat with Kendall about why this is so important and the work that she is doing to raise awareness about this increasingly important subject. The Growing Up Podcast is proudly sponsored by the amazing First Tunnels.  We...

Send us Fan Mail We've had a few April showers so far this month and we are feeling a little bit soggy!  In this episode we talk about the realities of gardening during the month of April and share some tips about getting the most from your April garden. It's important to share a positive message that as gardeners, we all love to moan about the weather, but it really does keep our lives...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we discuss how you can bring wildlife into your growing space, boost your local environment and eco system and also boost productivity. We discuss the perils of working with frogs and every gardeners favourite topic: slugs. 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...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we are joined by Ed from Roots Allotments to chat through essential gardening jobs for the month of April.  Some of you will just be getting started in the garden whereas others will have windowsills absolutely filled with seedlings.  Either way, we have you covered in this week's episode! The Growing Up Podcast is proudly sponsored by the amazing First Tunne...

Send us Fan Mail Almost exactly a year ago, Kate formally came to work full-time at Urban Herbs, growing, selling and promoting herb plants as a full-time job.  She left behind a full-time job in event management and so this shift represented a dramatic change. One year later Kate answers the questions that you have sent in to ask her about her dramatic career change.  This turned into a really ho...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we travel back in time, to a world that didn't have easy access to medicine or reliable food supplies.  We discuss a world in which gardens were vitally important and provide a really interesting insight into the medieval world.   Andy was once a history student and this episode of the Growing Up Podcast might just be his favourite yet. The Growing Up Podcast...

Send us Fan Mail Gardening here in the UK the pace of growth changes radically throughout the year.  It's something that we are gardeners totally accept but we rarely hear it talked about. So in this episode, we chat about the 'acceleration of growth' and how you can prepare for it. The season is really getting started now and we hope you enjoy this chat. The Growing Up Podcast is p...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we deep dive into the many beautiful varieties of herbs that are perfect for planting now in the early spring period.  We share growing tips for how you can get the most from your herb garden during the spring period.  But most importantly we chat and share our genuine joy of growing these amazing varieties. The Growing Up Podcast is proudly sponsored by the amazi...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we are joined by Ed from Roots Allotments as we share our love of allotment growing, the magic of community growing spirit, and the truly exciting work that is happening at Roots Allotments. The energy that Ed brings to this episode is truly infectious as we share the simple joy of growing and the manifold benefits that this act brings. The Growing Up Podcast is p...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Growing Up Podcast, we tell the story of the Spring of 2020, a season that turned into a spring like no other.  For so many of us our gardens became refuges during the long months of lockdowns as more experienced gardeners shared their knowledge on social media and others rediscovered the simple joy of growing things. In this episode, we read some of your st...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we talk about our love of Farmers Markets, what they are, why they matter, and how important they have been to our story.   Join us for this nostalgic journey into a world of artisan bread, cheese, plants, and food ethics.   Is there a farmers market near you? Let us know what you think of them. The Growing Up Podcast is proudly sponsored by the amazing First Tunne...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we talk all things February, it's such a strange month in the garden and so we chat to Shannon, a friend of the show and Diary of a Lady Gardener on Instagram about essential gardening jobs for February. This can often be the coldest month of the year,  but also a month that brings blue skies, sunshine and SO much hope. Really hope that you enjoy the chat. The...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Andy and Kate chat about the reaction to Andy's video showing the results of his front garden growing project and explore the importance of slow living in an increasingly 24/7 culture. We talk about generational change and rapidly changing perspectives on food growing. We really hope that you enjoy joining us for this raw and largely unedited chat. The Growin...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we talk about the idea of starting a horticultural business.   So many people have reached out to us over the years and said how much they have thought of career-changing - starting a career in the horticultural sector.  This week we dig a little deeper, talking honestly about our story over the last decade but also sharing our excitement about the future. There a...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Andy and Kate chat about varieties that we are excited about planting in 2024.  Get ready for a really informal, chat between the two of us as we chat about our 'couple gardening goals' for the growing season. We started recording without a plan and simply opened Kate's 'to sow' seed box. We really hope that you enjoy this slightly differe...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we chat with a friend of the show James Wong about whether or not it's possible to genuinely grow food to save money.   It's proven to be a surprisingly controversial subject, to talk honestly about the idea of growing food to save money and so we were fascinated to hear what James Wong had to say on this subject. Really hope that you enjoy this chat as...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we dig deep into gardening jobs for January.  Andy is joined by Dan, Head Gardener of Winterbourne House and Gardens as we chat on a rainy day about practical jobs that you can do NOW in January to get your garden off to the best possible start to the year. Each month in 2024 we aim to release a podcast offering practical advice, tips that you can implement at tha...

Send us Fan Mail Kate is BACK for this Pre-Christmas episode of the Growing Up Podcast. We talk about our gardening highlights of 2023, amazing highs and a few light hearted lows.  It was so lovely to sit together and consider the growing season that is ending shortly. We find that December is a month for gardeners to sit, reflect and plan ahead and this is exactly what we do in this episode.  We...

Send us Fan Mail In this week's episode, we talk to Katy and David who run the fabulous Root 13 house plant shop here in Birmingham.   Like ourselves they took a less-than-traditional route into horticulture, embracing a love of growing houseplants during the pandemic and now sharing the joy of growing these amazing plants with their customer and on social media. You will hear the emotion and...

Send us Fan Mail Growing food to save money?  Is it possible?   Can you truly be self-sufficient, growing food in a front garden?   This week we take a deep breath and dive deeply into the subject of growing food to save money.  We didn't think that this would be particularly controversial but it turns out that our messaging around this subject on social media has caused a very, very strong r...

Send us Fan Mail We all sometimes feel that we are the head gardener of our corner of planet earth but today we talk to Daniel Cartwright, who is genuinely the Head Gardener at Winterbourne House and Gardens in Birmingham.  We chat honestly about the challenges and opportunities in designing, curating and maintaining a heritage site.  We talk honestly about the importance of bringing a new generat...

Send us Fan Mail Something a little bit different, this week Kate was unable to join us on the Growing Up Podcast so I was joined by Thersa (Mum!).  What we actually recorded was 45 minutes of giggles, and chat about the nature of seasons and why gardening for well-being is really serious and vitally important.⁠ This week we talk very honestly about the link between the gardening seasons and the e...

Send us Fan Mail Why has it taken us so long to record an episode about the beautiful herb plants that have defined the last decade of our lives?  Grab yourselves a drink, sit back, and join us as we chat about our favourite herb plants. Herbs are beautiful plants that you can plant in your allotment, garden or grow indoors, but the truth is that these plants have the power to really transform you...

Send us Fan Mail We are joined on the Growing Up Podcast by James Wong, Ethnobotanist, presenter, and author of the amazing series 'Grow Your Own Drugs'. He is also a current panelist on the BBC Radio 4 programme, Gardeners' Question Time.   We chat to James about his story but fundamentally why plants matter, the provable benefits that they bring, and whether growing potatoes if st...