Not Just a Garden

On Not Just a Garden Bonus Episode 9, now that spring is approaching, we consider our seed-snails, Jetfire daffs, Yin Yang beans, and Hobbes' favourite stick. We also explore the variable world of licking toads, active-volcano-dwelling sharks, Portuguese urine toothpaste, bioluminescent honey fungus, and the pitfalls of chewing tobacco leaves, even for cowboys. In our Quazy Quiz, Sweetpea flummoxe...

Sharon Darlington was on Gardeners’ World 2025 episode 19 when Sue Kent visited her magical millpool. In this Good Ol’ Chit-Chat we learn how Sharon first came across Millpool-by-The-Sea and how she developed it to become the stunning space it is today. We also find out what took Sharon all the way to Anglesey, her natural ability to grow meconopsis with minimal effort, the big plans for...

On Not Just a Garden Bonus Episode 8 we explore some residual valentine's thoughts, more seed snails, bad decisions, edible sunflower steaks, and a bit more on rape alarms - thank you Penny for sharing! We also take a look at controversial behaviour at the winter olympics involving the male anatomy, road closures on account of breeding toads, why red roses are synonymous with February 14th, and wh...

Pat Havers was on Gardeners’ World 2025 episode 32 when she showed Carol Klein around the beautiful borders at Waterperry Gardens. Pat joins us for a Chit-Chat and we learn about managing troublesome badgers, the importance of Silent Spaces, clever rose hacks, Pat’s fortuitous route into horticulture, her daughter’s determination in finding the perfect garden gift, and a disembodied voice sha...

On account of slick mother/daughter communication skills we have a partially Valentines-themed Not Just a Garden Bonus Episode 7 this week. We learn about M&S's Only Ingredients range, Google Synth ID, naming a cockroach after an ex, every day items that are worryingly radioactive, the correlation between nuclear weapons and bananas, the wonders of Knepp Farm, how frogs, ferrets, bonobos, crow...

Houseplant legend Claire Lowrie was on Gardeners’ World 2024 episode 3 when she showed her magnificent Jungle Haven of stunning indoor plants, so we were thrilled that she could join us for a Good Ol’ Chit-Chat about her magical dream “garden”. We learned a top tip for looking after monstera (given Bear’s propensity for laziness), about using semi-hydroponics to make usually hard-to-grow plan...

Bonus episode 6 from Not Just a Garden and we look at garden, plant and gardening events around the country this month, (including snowdrop gardens through the NGS), giving ChatGPT a piece of our minds, alpine plant hunting, Scotland making bird history, frozen frogs, carnivorous oyster mushrooms, how Tyrian purple is made, Adam Frost's new garden plans, Frances' feature garden at this year's Chel...

We were delighted to be joined by plant, garden & social historian, author, and TV & Radio presenter Advolly Richmond OBE, FLS for a Good Ol’ Chit-Chat. We talked all sorts from OBEs and blue plaque high jinks, to making pivotal career changes and writing books. We also learned about Advolly’s dream garden with sentimental Edgeworthia chrysanthas, self-cleaning greenhouses, private pe...

Not Just a Garden Bonus Episode 5 and we explore the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, octopuses, legless starfish, mushroom bandages, collective nouns for animals, the impact of lightning on shiitakes, and we find out which spring garden shows have early-bird tickets available (if you're quick). On the Quazy Quiz this week we look at a plant Tinder profile and who's their Hate, Date, or Room-mate, and...

Farida Sober was on our screens for far too short a time back on Gardeners’ World 2024 episode 11, where she showed us her revolutionary and hugely successful seed snails. So we were delighted when she joined us for a Good Ol’ Chit-Chat and we found out all about Vitaly Gennadievich Alifirov tomatoes, the importance of soil health in Farida’s incredibly productive allotment, the great success...

Bonus episode 4 of Not Just a Garden and we cover a plethora of topics including; Arit Anderson's exciting plans for 2026, more of the down low on mammalian gestation periods, the incredible work of Franziska Trautman in Louisiana, mind-blowing facts about the volume of bacteria and germs on planet earth, Italy's ban on male chick elimination, zombie ants, sloth myths, and some good news for green...

Helleentje and Peter Walker from Wack’s Wicked Plants showed us their beautiful collection of carnivorous plants on Gardeners’ World 2025 episode 28. They join us for a Good Ol’ Chit-Chat and take us on a stroll down memory lane from the UK, to The Netherlands, to Azerbaijan, before settling in Scampston. We also find out about the science of growing melons and chrysanthemums, Capability...

The third of our Not Just a Garden Bonus episodes and this week we look at cigarettes with asbestos filters, how London Bridge was once inhabited, which guests were on the latest Gardeners' World compilations episode, drunk Australian bees, how the term "horse power" really came about, the fascinating world of fungi, the efficient mechanics of "Josh" and The Ocean Cleanup, and the varied and unpre...

Dwayne Black was on Gardeners’ World 2025 episode 27 showing us his stunning garden packed with lavender paths, grasses and immaculate dahlias. He joins us for A Good Ol’ Chit-Chat and we talk about how Dwayne prep’d for the big day, how the decision was made to add a fountain to the garden, the experience Dwayne has had with social media when it comes to the gardening community, what impact...

Another Not Just a Garden Bonus episode and this week we look at which jobs are threatened by AI and which are safest, pursuing careers in arts or sciences or both, which country in the world gets to celebrate the new year first, clever things to do with sunflower stems, a biotechnology company that uses fungi to improve tree growth and their survival rates, some interesting - and funny - gardenin...

Curator of Entomology Ashleigh Whiffin from National Museums Collection Centre in Edinburgh was on Gardeners' World 2025 episode 26 where she showed us the transformation of surrounding land from lawn to floral diversity. She joins us for a Good Ol' Chit-Chat and we find out about how Ash became curator, the intriguing world of forensic entomology (not necessarily for the faint-hearted☠️), th...

The first of our bonus episodes to tide us over until Gardeners' World is back on our screens. This week we discuss the absolutely mind-blowing attributes of the Eastern Emerald Elysia sea-slug, the serious concern with golden oyster mushrooms all over the world, a lesser known but world-changing Chernobyl event, plants that can count, interesting careers in the natural world, and some fun-facts a...

Jamie Quince-Starkey from Down to Earth Derby was on Gardeners’ World 2025 episode 19 sharing a glimpse of Electric Daisy, and he joins us for a very inspiring Good Ol’ Chit-Chat. We find out about Jamie’s Ready-Fire-Aim philosophy, working with Tim Smit from The Eden Project, nature-based regeneration, how Nev helped shape Electric Daisy, and Jamie’s future plans including fungus inspired ta...

The final episode of Gardeners' World 2025 as we have a look at the last Winter Special Episode 4. This week we look at apple allergies, unnamed and undescribed plants, ingenious Swiss drive-over bridges, some Humber oyster news, fire amoebas, the incredible benefits of English ivy, the awesomeness of mangroves, and electric eels. On Gardeners' World we have two national collections to look at; Fr...

Harriet Rycroft was on episode 6 of Gardeners' World 2023 sharing her extensive collection of beautiful pots. She joins us for A Good Ol' Chit-Chat and we learn not just about the wide array of containers one can use in the garden and how to maintain them, but also what would make it into Harriet's fantastical dream garden. We hear about childhood memories of treehouses and rope ladders, imaginary...

On Gardeners' World 2025 Winter Special Episode 3 Recap we talk about the wonders and perils of garlic, how Finland is utilising datacentre heat, the sad demise of the world's loneliest tree, how AI is saving rhinos, the marvel of resurrection spikemoss, and the rare Crikey steveirwini. On Gardeners' World Adam Frost introduces Andrew and Janet Rowe in Leicestershire and their incredible coll...

Pippa Chapman from Pippa Chapman Permaculture was on Gardeners' World 2025 episode 21 where she showed us her productive permaculture garden packed with insect life. She joins us for A Good Ol' Chit-Chat and we hear all about what would make it into Pippa's beautifully appointed dream garden with Wales-inspired views. We also find out about how to quickly disguise a neighbour's ugly fence, breedin...

We have the second of the four Gardeners' World winter specials and we talk watching Gardeners' World on Britbox, endangered lemurs, turning old wind turbines into benches, clams saving the health of Warsaw citizens, moss replacing solar power, and an escape artist orangutan. On Gardeners' World this week Adam Frost talks with Chris Howell and Nigel Hopes at John Massey's stunning garden at Ashwoo...

Head Gardener Tim Marshall was on Gardeners' World 2025 Episode 25 showing Adam Frost his office - the exquisite and expansive gardens of Mount St John. He joins us for a Chit-Chat and we learn what ignited a little Tim's passion for cacti from a young age, becoming the youngest member of the British Cactus and Succulents Society and setting him off on a successful and varied career in horticultur...

First of the Gardeners' World Winter Specials and we talk revising for uni exams, useful study apps, getting a second opinion on skin anomalies, very scary tyre blowouts, uk based Wollemi pines, megafauna paleoburrows, giant armadillos the size of cars, some good news for ash dieback, and a legendary albatross called Wisdom. On Gardeners' World Winter Special Episode 1, Advolly Richmond gives us a...