HortWeek Podcast

Paul Greenyer, Gareth Wilson and Craig Nester are high flyers in the world of landscape design and contracting.  Greenyer is director of Paul Greenyer Consultancy and carries out design and build landscape work as well as being an RICS-accredited expert witness and mediator. Wilson is an independent expert witness, hard landscaping expert and garden consultant and is known for his Chelsea gar...

HortWeek editor Matt Appleby and senior reporter Rachael Forsyth report on the essential horticulture stories of the week. HortWeek editor Matthew Appleby and Rachael talk about: Ruxley Manor Garden Centre takes on organised crime by installing extensive security and anti-theft measures  Marketing tips from IPM Essen where the watchword was 'innovation' Pros and cons of influencers for hortic...

HortWeek's panel at the BOA conference 2026 analysed in-depth how growers and suppliers are working towards peat-free, with the big messages being that retail product needs to be better and that the Government needs to offer clarity to the horticulture industry. Panellists were  Chris Reid, Westland head of technical – growing media,, David Denny of the HTA, Robin Squance, ex-Brookh...

Apprenticeship Week for 2026 starts 9 February so HortWeek has brought together two specialists in horticultural apprenticeships to explain how they work, the various options available and the vast array of benefits for employers and employees alike. Speaking to Rachael Forsyth in this episode are: Christa McDermot from BCA (Berkshire College of Agriculture) runs a range of land-based courses incl...

Bruce Harnett of Kernock Park Plants, Megan Green of Hayloft Plants and Yvonne Marquenie of Plants & Flowers Foundation Holland joined <i>HortWeek</i> new plants writer Mr Plant Geek Michael Perry on a panel at IPM Essen to discuss how the horticulture industry should understand today’s plant consumer. They discussed: 1. The peat-free and sustainability dilemma The transition to pe...

In an era of AI fakery and fake news, star of the CutCrew YouTube channel, Jack Churchman has built his grounds maintenance business through authenticity and it has served him well. Eschewing the 'easy' money of kit sponsorship, he has won respect, credibility and work by sticking to his principles and maintaining standards. Inspired by his mum and grandad who were keen gardeners, he got his first...

View slides and Vodcast edition at https://www.hortweek.com/article/1944940 In this edition of the HortWeek Podcast, Matt Appleby spoke to Dries Jansen of Garden Center Advice talking about how to optimise garden centre operations for profit through layout, assortment, and realisation. Jansen began his career as an analyst at Intratuin in the Netherlands, working with 56 stores and € 250 mill...

HortWeek editor Matthew Appleby, senior reporter Rachael Forsyth and technical editor Sally Drury make their predictions for horticulture in 2026. JUMP TO 00:02:16 - weather 00:06:24 - cost pressures 00:14:20 - volunteers 00:15:27 - imports/exports/SPS agreement and UK plant production 00:17:15 - pests & disease 00:19:08 - climate change and innovation 00:20:17 - Turf - turfgrass breeding and...

Studies such as that of McCance and Widdowson have revealed dramatic drops in fruit and vegetable mineral content since the 1940s.  This week's guest on the HortWeek Podcast Jennifer Brodie believes that 'rock dust', a by-product of volcanic rock mined for road construction and rich in minerals trapped since the pre-dinosaur era, could help reverse this by remineralizing the soil and feeding...

HortWeek editor Matthew Appleby, senior reporter Rachael Forsyth and technical editor Sally Drury share their top horticulture stories of 2025. JUMP TO... 00:00:43 - horticulture and peat-free 00:04:10 - developments in Biodiversity Net Gain 00:07:26 - remote mowers, new technology and implications 00:13:13 - loss of horticulture colleges and new learning options 00:17:54 - the impact of drought i...

The Garden Trust's Linden Groves is campaigning against a proposal to end the organisation's role as a planning statutory consultee. She robustly contests the proposal to remove the statutory consultee role and disagrees that it would improve the planning system. Instead, precious parks and gardens, hard won over many centuries, would be lost to communities both now and in future. “We are passiona...

Tony Kirkham has a mission, one that will resonate with many arborists across the UK: "I'd like to get rid of the term 'tree planting'". The former Kew arboretum head says: "Our success rate of establishing trees isn't good in this country... I'd sooner see less trees planted and established rather than planting big numbers that fail to establish."  In his conversation with HortWeek edit...

This is the second special podcast with an arboriculture focus produced as part of  ArbWeek , HortWeek's deep dive into all things arb held from 24 - 30 November. Listen to Jeremy Barrell on how 'Failing clients deserve failing trees', plus tree growing, procurement, planting and establishment This week's guests bring their distinct perspectives on the arb sector - but also bring a holistic p...

Chloe Whiteside, ICL’s technical area sales manager covering Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire – has spoken on the HortWeek podcast about the highs and lows of the 2025 spring bedding season and what the strong start and weaker finish mean for the 2026 bedding plant season. She talks about what bedding growers should be doing in the lead-up to the spring season and gives advice about watering, n...

The HortWeek Podcast has joined ArbWeek to bring HortWeek readers a series of interviews with leading arborists. The first of these is Jeremy Barrell. A influential figure in the tree care landscape (and HortWeek columnist) Jeremy Barrell is one of the leading authorities on tree care. A passionate campaigner on street trees in the wake of a number of controversial local authority fellings, in thi...

HortWeek editor Matt Appleby and senior reporter Rachael Forsyth report on the essential horticulture stories of the week. HortWeek editor Matthew Appleby and Rachael talk about: The "outrageous" ongoing delays and reports of damaged to imported plants The latest on the prospective peat ban What the garden centre of the future might look like Do check out our huge archive of  HortWeek Podcast...

Andrew Fisher Tomlin, co-founder and director of the London College of Garden Design talks on the HortWeek podcast about his new book,  The Modern Professional Planting Designer , was published by Rizzoli New York in October 2025. In the podcast he talks about how the book came about and what impact he hopes it will have, what he thinks of Chelsea designs this year, his views on international...

Garden centre personality Rosie Bone brings her new ideas for garden retail to the HortWeek Podcast this week this week. Founder of the World's End Garden Centre in 1970 with Len Bone, Rosie puts her success in garden retail down a focus on customer service, looking after your staff and above all "value for money". She argues if you get those three right, other considerations such as location are...

In this episode of the HortWeek podcast, HortWeek editor Matt Appleby interviews horticulturist, garden writer, organic gardening advocate and the new president of the Hardy Plant Society, Val Bourne.  They discuss Val's journey in horticulture, her dedication to organic gardening, and the challenges facing plant societies today. Val shares her experiences and insights on the importance of pr...

With HortWeek senior reporter Rachael Forsyth fresh from the GrootGroenPlus trade show, we hear how European growers are tackling the challenge of imports/ exports with the UK - with producers saying they would be "delighted" to see the SPS agreement come into force. HortWeek editor Matthew Appleby and Rachael talk about: Inspection regimes and paperwork both sides of the border, and how it is aff...

The Biodiversity Net Gain market has come along way since BNG became mandatory in England under the Environment Act 2021. The ruling requires developers to deliver at least 10% biodiversity net gain for new construction projects. In this week's HortWeek Podcast Rachael Forsyth speaks to head of sales and services Emma Hindle and head of business development Brian Smith at Ground Control, which pro...

In this week's News In Focus podcast HortWeek editor, Matthew Appleby, technical editor Sally Drury and senior reporter Rachael Forsyth discuss: the eagerly awaited Top 250 Garden Centres 2025 some of the garden product highlights from GLEE How YouTube is 'where it's at' for gardening content Prospects and stresses for the garden retail sector after a busy 2025 How changes in peat and coir supply...

In the fifth of HortWeek's News In Focus podcasts, we take a deep dive on Groundsfest trade show, with technical editor Sally Drury, horticultural consultant Howard Drury and senior reporter, Rachael Forsyth. Topics this week: The trio, who judged the Groundsfest awards, hosted and guested on panels, enthuse about the depth and breadth of the show, which caters for grounds maintenance, landscape c...

Welcome to the third of HortWeek's new stream of podcasts where we give the HortWeek take on the biggest news stories. This week editor Matthew Appleby, technical editor Sally Drury, horticultural consultant Howard Drury and digital content manager Christina Taylor chew over the week's top stories. Topics this week: the latest cabinet and Defra reshuffle and what it might mean for horticulturists....

Welcome to the third of HortWeek's new stream of podcasts where we give the HortWeek take on the biggest news stories. This week editor Matthew Appleby and digital content manager Christina Taylor chew over the week's top stories. Issues this week: the new and improved HortWeek Power List  which celebrates the top 100 most impactful horticulturists. the issues driving a churn in horticulture...