Mike The Gardener - Gardening Podcast

Hello! And welcome back to the Mic the Gardener - Gardening Podcast page. This week I have a rather exciting Plant Special episode for you featuring penstemon.  I speak to RHS gold medal winning nursery owner, Julia Mitchell of GreenJJam nurseries , specialists in growing penstemon. As with all of my Plant special episodes, we chat about everything you need to know about growing penstemon inc...

In this weeks episode of the Mic the Gardener gardening podcast, I chat to the owner of Natural Grower, Charlotte Beatty . I am thrilled to have Natural Grower sponsor my podcast. I've used their products in my own gardening for a while now, and certainly well before Charlotte agreed to sponsor the podcast.  As such, having natural growth as a podcast sponsor is fantastic as I genuinely love...

In this episode, another Plant Special, I chat to nurserymen Chris Potts and Ollie Walker of Sienna Hosta . Chris and Ollie are hosta fanatics and what they don't know about hostas isn't worth knowing. And, I can assure you, there isn't much if anything they don't know! Following a walk around the hosta-packed nursery I sat down with them both to chat about everything you could possibly need to kn...

In this week's episode I chat to RHS Young Designer of the Year , Freddie Strickland . This episode was recorded at the beautiful Iford Manor Gardens near Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, a garden which both Freddie and I have wanted to visit.  Luckily, garden owners William and Marianne allowed us to sneak in through the back door as the garden is currently closed for winter. Freddie tells me ho...

In this week's episode I chat to world renowned garden designer and plantsman Andrew Fisher Tomlin . I've been a huge fan of Andrew's work for many years, so it was a privilege to chat with him. We were originally due to meet in Andrew's south London garden, but unfortunately, the UK petrol price put paid to that. Nonetheless, Andrew starts this episode by giving us a detailed tour of his garden a...

In this week’s episode I chat to author Gareth Richards about his new RHS book ‘Weeds - The Beauty and Uses of 50 Vagabond Plants’ . There can't be one of us who doesn't battle with at least a handful of weed varieties in our own gardens. In my own garden, it's hairy bittercress, couch grass and bindweed, and that, is quite enough, thank you very much. Like many of us, you'll find me hissing and c...

In this episode Mike chats to BBC TV Gardeners' World and BBC Breakfast presenter Mark Lane . This episode was originally due to be recorded in Marks own garden, but unfortunately the UK petrol crisis put paid to that and this episode was recorded via Zoom. Nonetheless, Mark talks passionately and descriptively about his own beautiful garden, describing the trees, shrubs, plants and features and h...

In this Dry Shade Specia l podcast episode, Mike dispels the common fear around planting in a dry, shady area.   Many gardeners, irrespective of their knowledge and experience, visibly quake at the knees at the mention of 'dry shade'.  So, in this episode recorded in his own back garden, Mike talks through the plants he has used to great effect to bring a dry shady border alive, year-rou...

In this episode Mike chats to garden writer, designer and broadcaster (and in fact most things 'garden'), Naomi Slade , in her sunny, urban, Bristol garden. Naomi tells Mike how the garden has developed in the four years since she took it on. Despite being an urban garden it is home to a heavily laden pear tree, several ornamental crab apple trees, a pretty little greenhouse, a decked seating area...

In this episode Mike chats to Danny Clarke, a.k.a. The Black Gardener . You'll know Danny from the BBC TV series 'The Instant Gardener ' and most recently he has become part of the ever-popular ITV gardening makeover programme, 'Love Your Garden ' alongside Alan Titchmarsh, Frances Tophill, David Dominey and previous podcast guest, Katie Rushworth (Series 1).  Click here to listen to Mike cha...

In this episode Mike chats to garden writing legend, Anna Pavord , author of the Gardening Bible, The Tulip .  Anna was the gardening correspondent for The Independent and author of a number of bestselling gardening & plant books. She is also an associate editor of Gardens Illustrated magazine and has also written for The Observer for over twenty years.  In this delightful interview,...

In this informative, fourth 'plant special' episode, Mike chats to leading ornamental grass expert and 13 Chelsea Gold Medal winner, Neil Lucas about ornamental grasses.  Recorded in the grounds of the stunning Knoll Gardens, near Wimborne, Dorset, UK, Neil talks to Mike about everything you could possibly need to know about growing ornamental grasses successfully. It's an Ornamental Grasses...

In this episode Mike chats to Ben Cross of Crosslands Flower Nursery , a family business growing and delivering British alstromeria nationwide all year round since 1936.  Ben is passionate about the importance of growing their beautiful alstroemerias in a sustainable way.  He regularly give talks about the importance of buying British grown flowers in order to reduce the carbon footprint...

In this first episode of the second series, Mike chats to Michael Perry, a.k.a. Mr Plant Geek.  Michael is a TV presenter, speaker, podcaster and social media influencer (voted as Social Media Influencer of the Year 2020 by the Garden Media Guild ). In this exciting episode, Mike chats to Michael in his glorious, sunny Suffolk-based garden about the garden itself, the design, the hard landsca...

Yes the wait is almost over! Your host, Mike Palmer, returns with a brand-new, exciting series of the popular 'Mic the Gardener' podcast on Friday, 27th August, 0600 (BST).  Alongside the in-depth chats with fascinating garden presenters, journalists, designers and other gardening folk and the very popular plant profile episodes, Mike introduces a brand new feature, ' Up the Garden Path '. In...

I'd like to thank each and every one of you for listening to, subscribing to and following my new Mic the Gardener podcast; I've enjoyed every single moment of recording, editing and presenting it. So many of you have contacted me to let me know you have also enjoyed the first series and/or have left amazing reviews on Apple Podcasts. And the response to the Mic the Gardener podcast survey was unb...

In this final episode of the first series Mike visits the stunning Waterperry Gardens in Oxfordshire where he chats with Managing Director, Simon Buchanan, Head Gardener, Pat Havers and Fruit Consultant, Chris Lanczak.  Waterperry Gardens is steeped in history, most notably with the arrival of the redoubtable Beatrix Havergal, with her partner Avice Sanders in September 1932. Together, at Wat...

In this episode, the third in a series of 'plant special' podcasts, Mike chats to Clematis King, Raymond Evison , owner and founder of Raymond Evison Clematis.  Raymond has spent six decades searching for, breeding and developing the world's best clematis.  Born in 1944, Raymond started his horticultural career at the age of 15 in Shropshire and quickly became the director of his first c...

In this exciting episode Mike chats to Ellen Mary. Ellen Mary is one busy lady who amongst many things is a social media influencer, gardening presenter, journalist, radio broadcaster, podcaster, one of the Top 5 Women Influencers in Horticulture (Grow Your Own magazine) and now an author, with her very first book 'The Joy of Gardening', published on 27 May 2021 by Goldfinch Publishing.  Ellen Mar...

In this exciting, second 'plant special' podcast, Mike chats to world-leading rosarian, Michael Marriot , formerly of David Austin Roses , where he was an integral part of the team for 35 years. What Michael doesn't know about roses, frankly isn't worth knowing. Mike chats to Michael about everything you need to know about growing the best possible roses, including how to chose the best varieties,...

In this episode Mike chats too Skinny Jean Gardener, Lee Connelly . Lee, one-time Blue Peter gardener, bestselling author of the ' How to get your Kids Gardening ' book, successful podcaster with his Sunday Times Top 5 Podcast, the Skinny Jean Gardener podcast and spokesman and advocate for getting kids into gardening.  Lee chats about his inspirational initiative, the School Gardening Succes...

Who doesn’t love a blooming good dahlia? In this special edition of the Mic the Gardener podcast, Mike chats to Farmer Gracy horticulturalist, Naomi Jones about everything you need to know to grow dazzling dahlias in your green space.  Every aspect is covered from what to do when you buy your dahlia tubers, what potting compost to use, how to start them into growth, watering, feeding, pest co...

In this episode Mike chats to gardener, garden writer and author, Sally Nex about her incredible new book ' How to Garden the Low Carbon Way '. Her new book is packed with brilliant, topical and practical tips to help us in our own green spaces. Which potting compost should we be using? What can we plant to lower our carbon footprint? Are there alternatives to synthetic fertilisers?  How can...

Mike chats to television presenter, Katie Rushworth of ITV's highly popular garden makeover programme 'Love Your Garden' about making beautiful gardens in the rain, being a jobbing gardener and coarse fishing..., yes, coarse fishing!  They also talk about her own family garden makeovers ( see Katie's Instagram for more information ) and her very successful garden consultation business. You ca...

Mike talks to awarding winning royal florist extraordinaire, author and presenter Simon Lycett from 'Lycett Towers' in London - check out his website for the most beautiful displays to cheer you through the February Freeze.  Mike and Simon explore the stigma experienced identifying as a florist in an all-boys school. Get to the roots of what it is really like to be a florist in lockdown and find o...