Loving Your Garden - Better Gardening Podcast

With record temperatures being clocked up all over the world including the more temperate European countries, gardeners need to be alert to the dangers posed to their precious plants. In this week's episode, John Stirland discusses the crucial topic of efficient watering, plant care and Summer lawn maintenance as well as answering member questions on pruning Wisteria and tree care. As ever, ...

Horticultural Wholesaler and LYG member Mark Smith updates us on some of the new products on display at the National Plant Show held at NAEC Stoneleigh in June. Blight resistant Box, easy-maintenance Clematis and dwarf varieties of popular shrubs for smaller gardens are just some of the items up for discussion.  He also reveals how the industry feels about the year to date as fears grow the econom...

This time of year should see our gardens at their best in the more temperate climates but it's also a time when pests and diseases are at their most active. In this week's episode, we consider the main pests we're likely to encounter, such as scale insect, aphids and whitefly as well as fungal infections like powdery mildew and effective ways to control them. We also discuss jobs to...

This week Rod and John discuss ways of using the free space above your garden to add another dimension to your outdoor space. Whether it's trees, shrubs or man-made structures, lifting the ceiling of your garden can make a world of difference. John also touches on a couple of key jobs for this time of year for veg growers including tomato care and leek planting. We also respond to a couple of...

Our garden lawns can be the source of great pride or bitter disappointment! Our guest this week, Guy Jenkins from Johnsons Lawn Seeds and DLF Seeds & Science gives you the inside story on seed development with everything you need to know about giving your lawn the best chance of success.  From choosing your seed to sowing, feeding, scarifying, aerating and mowing, Guy will take you through the...

Summer Bedding is a familiar addition to most gardens, providing an extra burst of colour to your outdoor space.  We look at the options and the pitfalls to avoid including the one common mistake that can leave you with loads of foliage...but no flowers! We also discuss the importance of plant supports, lifting your Spring bulbs, and respond to your questions about container suitability and plants...

With all the effort we put into planning, planting and caring for our flowers, trees and shrubs, what's the point if our garden woodwork is a hotch-potch of broken fencing and shabby decking?  There are so many interesting colours now with water-based wood treatments that will transform a garden and help show off your plants in all their glory. We meet up with LYG member Jason Fitzgerald from...

John Stirland waxes lyrical about the joys of the garden waking up after the long Winter and how the Easter holiday is the time for you to really get on top of the 'to do' list to get your garden set for the busy growing season. We discuss sowing hardy annuals, buying your bedding plugs and protecting them in preparation for planting as the risk of frost eases, some border plant suggesti...

Nick Hamilton, owner of the hugely popular Barnsdale Gardens in Rutland talks about the legacy of his famous father - Gardeners' World presenter Geoff Hamilton who introduced millions to gardening during the eighties and nineties before his untimely death in 1996. We discuss Barnsdale of course but also what it was like growing up in a television studio (Barnsdale was effectively 38 TV studio...

A fabulous episode with one of the country's foremost floral designers who shares some tips and tricks for getting the best out of cut flowers but whose passion is utterly engaging. Jonathan is a regular at all the top shows including Chelsea, Hampton Court, Tatton and Malvern and his creations have adorned some of the country’s most prestigious venues. As ever, we've added a chapter tab...

At last, Spring is upon us and our gardening season proper begins! Our chat this week is packed full of useful tips as John Stirland outlines a few key jobs to be getting on with including getting your herb garden ready, early lawn prep, Hellebore trimming and dividing and cleaning down greenhouse etc. John also answers questions on organic compost and potato growing.  As ever, there's a chap...

As we (UK) gardeners clean up after a week of successive storms and enjoy the early signs of Spring, we discuss the timely task of preparing for summer bulbs.  Dahlias, Begonias and Lilies make a fabulous display for a summer garden but the work starts now. Also in our gardening clinic, we tackle bulb theft by squirrels and pruning ivy. Share your thoughts

John Stirland gives a master class on that essential February job of Winter pruning including the tools you need, tips on pruning roses, Clematis, Fruit Trees, Hedges and shrubs, finishing off with a couple of member questions answered. As ever, check out the chapter tab if you want to choose what's relevant but, at only twenty minutes, it's all worth a listen for John's wisdom on t...

We're delighted to have 'Life At No 27' Founder Annabelle Padwick as our guest on this week's LYG Podcast.  Annabelle is a professional gardener as well as being a wellbeing practitioner and mental health first aider who, having conquered her own struggles with mental health challenges, now helps others through her horticultural therapy projects. We chat about how growing her o...

It's one of the most important products in your garden shed but while many gardeners are very aware of what they're feeding their plants, others can be forgiven for being a little bemused by the huge variety of products on those garden centre shelves.  John Stirland demystifies the gobbledegook on the box and breaks down which elements work best for different plants. We also look at a co...

It may still be Winter but there is plenty to be getting on with including preparing our beds and borders for the growing season. John Stirland takes us through the key steps, especially with heavy clay and sandy soils. We also demystify some of the jargon around seeds, such as F1s and F2s plus some tips on sowing sweet peas.  If you're new to growing your own veg, John has some timely advice...

We're honoured to have one of the UK's top plantswomen (and some), Rosy Hardy - founder of Hardys Cottage Garden Plants and holder of no fewer than 24 RHS Chelsea gold medals for this week's LYG Podcast.  Rosy talks about her passion for horticulture, her love of herbaceous plants, and shares some timely advice on Spring planting, plant pairing, planting with clay and propagation as...

Loving Your Garden Live this week has John Stirland in full flow: demystifying compost, timely advice on sowing alpines and seed propagation, and solutions to two member-led questions about growing veg - no show cauliflowers and carrot fly.  We also discuss jobs to be getting on with as recent sunny weather has tempted us out into our gardens. Do check the chapters tab for precise locations. We al...

Horticulturist and former RHS judge Ian Cooke drops in for a virtual chat with Rod and John from his home in California. The guys talk about planting for shade (not much of that in Palm Springs) as well as small garden design, the subject of one of Ian's many books. John holds his weekly clinic for LYG subscribers answering questions on Leek Rust and when to sow tomato seeds for summer. Check...

He's won no fewer than 26 RHS medals, 11 of them Gold at Chelsea and this year was presented with a coveted Lifetime Achievement Award by the Society of Garden Designers.  Professor David Stevens kicks off the latest series of 'Loving Your Garden' podcasts with Rod Whiting and John Stirland. The guys discuss the year gone by; changing trends in horticulture, what to expect in '...

In our first season finale, Rod and Richard Chuck talk with Loving Your Garden and former RHS member John Stirland about the merits of the Royal Horticultural Society, and we ask the charity's Chief Horticulturalist Guy Barter what it can do for you and your garden. We'll be taking a few weeks off to refresh the podcast (and ourselves) and be back with Season 2 at the end of the year. Do...

We're filling our gardens with so much wood now with fancy fencing, decking, gazebos and summerhouses, it's becoming a major task to maintain it all. Professional painter and decorator Jason Fitzgerald shares some basic tips to prevent 'garden grief'.   Richard Chuck shares a paint-based confession that leaves us open-mouthed and I get my plant of the week Geranium Delft Blue t...

Rod & Richard Chuck pay homage to one of the greatest endowments to the gardening world - the National Gardening Scheme which has nearly 4 thousand private gardens across the UK on its books.  Rod talks to the scheme's Chief Executive George Plumtre and guest Helen Boothman talks about what it's like being a host at her own garden: Mill Farm Gardens near Caistor in Lincolnshire. Plus...

Rod and Richard Chuck finally get out into a garden and what a garden!  The splendour of Barnsdale Gardens, made famous by the TV personality Geoff Hamilton is laid bare with Geoff's son Nick adding his observations.   Share your thoughts

The mighty John Stirland joins Rod and Richard Chuck to talk plants with a new weekly feature - Plant of the week!  Although we counted at least thirty! Share your thoughts