Gardeners Sarah Raven and Arthur Parkinson have a unique and fruitful friendship created through their joint passions for growing beautiful floral arrangements and sowing food for cooking on the veg slope at Perch Hill. So how did this all start? On this special bonus episode of grow, cook, eat, arrange we delve into their upbringings and backgrounds that inspired their love of colour, their original career paths (including Sarah’s brief time as a Medic in London!) and the story behind how they first met and formed an instant friendship. Discover: Why Perch Hill is a true  “Wonderland” to ArthurWhere Sarah’s love for “bringing the outside in” came fromTheir joint love of CosmosHow Arthur’s family influenced his career into gardeningHow they each found their passion for making the harvest the essence of their gardeningSupporting fact sheet: https://bit.ly/2MMMrqe Products mentioned: 
Cosmos bipinnatus 'Purity': http://bit.ly/36XzRLv
Cosmos bipinnatus 'Dazzler': http://bit.ly/3cW8yoz
Antirrhinum majus 'Liberty Classic Crimson' F1: http://bit.ly/3oXFnE8
Salvia viridis 'Blue Monday': http://bit.ly/2NecSoI
Tulip 'Queen Of Night': http://bit.ly/3jw9q4J

Order Sarah’s book: https://bit.ly/2TWHJcz
Order Arthur’s book: https://bit.ly/3xOov7H Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

An Introduction to Sarah Raven and Arthur Parkinson - BONUS

Welcome to grow, cook, eat, arrange, the weekly podcast from gardener, writer, teacher,and cook, Sarah Raven. Over the last two decades, Sarah has led the way by introducing a new kind of productive gardening which places emphasis on intense colour, sophistication, and achievability. Recorded at the beautiful Perch Hill Farm in Sussex, Sarah talks with special guests from across garden design, floristry, food, ecology, conservation, and more. Brimming with top tips and helpful hints, listen and learn how to create your most productive garden ever. You can find out more about the products discussed in each episode or get in touch by visiting the website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

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With spring racing onwards, the window in which to plant out your half-hardy seeds is upon us, and it’s a time that should spark joy in the imaginations of veg gardeners.

This week on grow, cook, eat, arrange, half-hardy vegetables take centre stage - Sarah takes us through the 6 must-have categories of veg, and shares an array of mouth-watering recipes perfect for the avid kitchen gardener.

In this episode, discover:Why this time of year perfectly suits the sowing of your half-hardy seedsThree stellar tomatoes, with a surprise favourite emerging from our most recent taste trialsRecipes for all of Sarah’s top half-hardy veg, from the surprisingly savoury to the deliciously healthyWhich edible flowers wonderfully complement courgettes in a fritto mistoOrder Sarah’s book - A Year Full of Flowers: https://bit.ly/2TWHJcz
Order Sarah’s new book - A Year Full of Veg: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/sarah-ravens-a-year-full-of-veg Products mentioned:
Tomato 'Black Russian': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tomato-black-russian
Tomato 'Sungold': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tomato-sungold
Tomato 'Garnet': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tomato-garnet
Cucumber 'La Diva': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cucumber-la-diva
Pea 'Nairobi': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/pea-nairobi
Sweet Basil: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/basil-sweet
Courgette 'Romanesco': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/courgette-romanesco
Courgette 'Soleil' F1: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/courgette-soleil-f1
Courgette 'Bianca di Trieste': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/courgette-bianca-di-trieste
Tulip 'White Valley' syn 'Exotic Emperor': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tulip-white-valley
Carrot 'Nantes 5': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/carrot-nantes-5 Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Simple, delicious recipes with your own grown veg - Episode 169

Early May is on its way, bringing a fresh bloom of fragrant and fabulous flowers. It’s this abundance of impact and perfume on which Simon Lycett thrives. His style of floristry is so striking, and one from which we cannot fail but to learn - Simon joins us to share his highlights of the spring season and how you can choose the perfect varieties to create your own stunning arrangements. In this episode, discover:Simon’s recent endeavours with BBC Maestro, creating wonderful guides to decorating with flowersOur favourite garden & cut flowers for early May, with special mention for the absolute must-have Lily of the ValleyA unique irrigation tip if your garden is overly abundant with slugsSimon’s top tips for home-grown floristry, and the standout performers he’s been drawn to in recent yearsConnect with Simon: https://www.instagram.com/simonlycett Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Perfect plants for flawless, fabulous and fragrant floristry with Simon Lycett - Episode 168

Welcome back to our monthly Q&A; podcast episodes for April, where Sarah and Josie answer questions from you, our lovely listeners.

In this month’s episode, Sarah turns her attention to sweet peas as she shares how deep to sow seeds, and how far apart to sow them based on our trials at Perch Hill. Also this month, we hear which plants are ideal for planting out in April, particularly those that bring instant impact. 

Sarah takes us through what seeds should be sown now, from the ornamental garden featuring erigeron to the kitchen garden with kales and flat leaf parsley.

Josie also shares a wonderful selection of seeds that are ideal for growing cut flowers in containers, with a lovely mention for the likes of the cosmos sonata series. Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Q&A: How should I best sow sweet peas? What’s best to plant out in April for instant impact? Which seeds should I sow now in the garden, and for cut flowers in containers?

For any organic gardener, companion planting is one of the most essential, rewarding and productive ways to ward off bugs and fungal infections.

As the seasons are beginning to turn, it’s a wonderful time to recap the importance and joy of companion planting - Sarah is joined once again by Arthur Parkinson, where we revisit classic combinations, and share some unconventional pairings that you might not have considered.

In this episode, discover:The many reasons that companion planting is a fantastic alternative to chemical treatments in the gardenWhere and how to plant out tagetes for a reliable, much-loved source of protection against green and whiteflyWhich of the salvias are among our favourites to pair with roses, and when to plant them outThe often-underestimated use of basil as a companion plant, making it a perfect partner to tomatoes in the kitchen and garden alikeOrder Sarah’s book - A Year Full of Flowers: https://bit.ly/2TWHJcz
Order Sarah’s new book - A Year Full of Veg: 
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/sarah-ravens-a-year-full-of-veg
Products mentioned:
Tagetes tenuifoila 'Red Gem': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tagetes-red-gem
Tagetes tenuifolia 'Tangerine Gem': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tagetes-tenuifolia-tangerine-gem
Tagetes patula 'Linnaeus Burning Embers':
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tagetes-linnaeus
Salvia x jamensis 'Nachtvlinder': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/salvia-x-jamensis-nachtvlinder
Sweet Basil: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/basil-sweet
Tagetes minuta: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tagetes-minuta Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Perfect Pairings of Companion Plants with Arthur Parkinson - Episode 167

For those with a vegetable garden, The Pig’s offering is a source of inspiration and envy among many, all of which thrives under the watchful eye of Group Head Gardener, Ollie Hutson.

This week’s ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ brings us a fantastic array of tips and recipes to take from Ollie’s expertise and bring into our own growing and cooking, drawing on a love of the natural world that’s spanned his entire life.

In this episode, discover:The Pig’s humble beginnings and the exciting expansion of its gorgeous hotelsHow Ollie, as Group Head Gardener, approaches the natural world and focuses on creating a ‘25 mile menu’What to sow in March and April to fill the ‘hungry gap’ in the kitchen gardenSome of Ollie’s favourite recipes, taking inspiration from The Pig’s luxury menuOllie Huston: https://twitter.com/olliehutson85
The Pig: https://www.thepighotel.com/
Order Sarah’s book - A Year Full of Flowers: https://bit.ly/2TWHJcz
Order Sarah’s new book - A Year Full of Veg: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/sarah-ravens-a-year-full-of-veg Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

An Introduction to Sarah Raven and Arthur Parkinson - BONUS

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