grow, cook, eat, arrange with Sarah Raven & friends

Christmas is one of the most joyous times of the year, and sustainability need not detract from that joy. With a little bit of forethought, we can all enjoy a colourful and creative celebration that respects our planet too.

Sarah is a passionate advocate for sustainability, so in this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ she shares some of the most exciting, naturally sourced and low impact ways to decorate your home, festive table and tree, as well as a fantastic guide to creating your own compostable wreath.

In this episode, discover:

• Sustainable ways to create a festive wreath using foraged branches, moss and flowers from the garden
• Whether real trees are a benefit to the environment over faux trees
• Highlights from the winter garden to create beautiful decorations for the table and tree 

Products mentioned:

Rosemary 'Foxtail': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/rosemary-foxtail

Trachelospermum jasminoides:
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/trachelospermum-jasminoides

Clematis & Wisteria:
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/clematis-and-wisteria

Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Bannow Bay':
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/pittosporum-tenuifolium-bannow-bay

Eucalyptus gunnii 'Azura':
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/eucalyptus-gunnii-azura

Helleborus niger:
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-niger

Helleborus x ballardiae 'Maestro':
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-x-ballardiae-maestro

Lunaria annua:
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/lunaria-annua

Panicum miliaceum 'Violaceum':
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/panicum-violaceum

Allium hollandicum 'Purple Sensation':
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/allium-hollandicum-purple-sensation

Allium cristophii:
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/allium-cristophii

Allium schubertii:
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/allium-schubertii

Briza maxima:
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/briza-maxima-greater-quaking-grass

Chasmanthium latifolium:
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/chasmanthium-latifolium

Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris:
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hydrangea-petiolaris

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: [email protected]

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Welcome to the December Q&A episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, where Sarah & Josie answer questions sent in by our lovely listeners each month. 

In this episode, Josie shares how best to create your dream garden from one that you’ve just moved into, and enlightens us on what constitutes part-shade and full-sun, so that we can plant our flowers where they’re best suited. Sarah also gives us some fantastic wreath decoration ideas which are foraged, therefore more sustainable, and lauds the benefits of coppicing.

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: [email protected]

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Christmas is only a few short weeks away, and while the garden may be winding down into winter mode, it’s the perfect time to spread joy to green-fingered friends with some well-considered gifts and elegant decorations.

With Arthur joining Sarah this week for an exciting journey through the pages of our latest Christmas catalogue, Sarah explains why she’s more excited by this year’s festive range than ever before.

In this episode, discover:

• Irresistible decorations for the tree, with a few specific nature-themed baubles catching Arthur’s eye
• Tried and tested favourites that deliver year upon year, like the ever-reliable Solar Allium Stake Lights
• An increased focus on sustainability in the range, as well as living gifts like our Thyme & Rosemary in Terracotta Pots and Sarah’s favourite Double Paperwhites in a Leaf Trough

Products mentioned:
Ceramic Pomegranate Candleholder
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/ceramic-pomegranate-candleholder
Star Sequinned Mini Glass Baubles
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/star-sequinned-mini-glass-baubles
Gold and Silver Ribbed Baubles
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/gold-and-silver-ribbed-baubles
Jade Gemstone Light String
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/jade-gemstone-lit-garland
Solar Allium Stake
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/solar-allium-stake
Sissinghurst Gold Painted Glass Candleholder
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/sissinghurst-gold-painted-glass-candleholder
Whopper Glass Fruit Decorations
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/whopper-glass-fruit-decorations
Luxury Christmas Crackers
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/luxury-christmas-crackers
As-if-from-Venice Green Glass Bauble
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/as-if-from-venice-green-glass-bauble
Corcertina White Paper Garland
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/corcertina-white-paper-garland
Bumblebee Glass Baubles
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/bumblebee-glass-baubles
Thyme & Rosemary in Terracotta Pots
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/thyme-and-rosemary-in-terracotta-pots
Galanthus nivalis (Common Snowdrop)
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/galanthus-nivalis
Snowdrops in Terracotta Pots
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/snowdrops-in-terracotta-pots

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: [email protected]

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

The garden winds down in December, but there’s still a few small jobs that’ll stand it in good stead for the year to come.

In this monthly episode of ‘grow, cook, eat arrange’, Sarah takes us through which bulbs can be forced now, and an experimental watering technique, while Josie runs down the winter pruning plans and why it’s not too late to plant your tulips.

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: [email protected]

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Dominic Rose holds multiple roles; Chair of Sarah Raven, self-appointed ‘amateur gardener’, and leading advocate in bringing biodiversity to the residential gardens and back yards of Britain.

In our 200th episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Dominic unpacks his ambitions for ‘Britain’s Biggest Living Garden’ – a community action project in North London’s Hampstead Garden Suburb – and explains how it might inspire others to support biodiversity in their own gardens at home, including the next generation of aspiring gardeners who’ll tend our green spaces in the future.

In this episode, discover:

• The catalyst for creating Britain’s Biggest Living Garden, and the ecologists, authors and volunteers who have guided its mission
• How the benefits to biodiversity are already being measured
• Dominic’s ambitions to inspire the next generation of gardeners, with biodiversity at the forefront

Britain’s Biggest Living Garden: https://www.britainsbiggestlivinggarden.org/
Wildlife Gardening Forum: https://www.wlgf.org/

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: [email protected]

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Gardening is a diverse pursuit, and there’s no shortage of tools and kit that can help transform horticultural chores into an easier, more pleasurable experience.

In this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Perch Hill’s Josie Lewis joins Sarah to look back over the gardening year and nominate the top 10 desert island tools that no gardener should live without.

In this episode, discover:

• Tools and containers perfect for making light work of planting and sowing
• Sarah and Josie’s favourites vases to make floral arrangements easier to put together and more visually appealing
• Sarah’s all-time favourite pots and trugs, with designs that have inspired products in our range

Products mentioned:
Zinc Harvesting Trug
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/zinc-harvesting-trug

Niwaki Hori Hori Knife
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/niwaki-hori-hori-knife

Niwaki s-type Hori Hori Knife and Sheath
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/niwaki-stype-hori-hori-knife-and-sheath

Tub Planter
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tub-planter

Hortiwool Hanging Basket Liner Set
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hortiwool-hanging-basket-liner-set

Hortiwool Garden Pad
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hortiwool-garden-pad-pouch

Sarah Raven Pruning Snips
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/sarah-raven-pruning-snips

Sarah Raven Poachers Spade
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/poachers-spade

Nero Vase
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/nero-vase

Bumper Bulb Planter
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/bulb-planter

Striped Ceramic Vases
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/striped-ceramic-vases

Terracotta Pots
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/terracotta-pots

Terracotta Scalloped Pots
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/terracotta-scalloped-pots

Rustic Terracotta Pot
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/rustic-terracotta-pot

Aged Terracotta Pots
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/aged-terracotta-pots

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: [email protected]

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Butterflies and bees can only thrive in a garden with a ‘living buffet’ to which they can flock, which is why biodiversity is the hot topic for Sarah and Arthur in this latest episode of grow, cook, eat, arrange.

Reflecting on a year in which pollinators have struggled and needed particular support, they share the best plant varieties for bringing a much-needed buzz into your gardens, and discuss why nighttime pollinators ought not be forgotten.

In this episode, discover:

• Sarah & Arthur’s absolute favourite flowers for creating a biodiverse haven
• The importance of late-flowering plants, providing pollen at crucial times when late-emerging pollinators may need it most
• The often-overlooked night time wildlife that also benefits from biodiverse gardens
• Arthur’s newfound tip for keeping slugs away from your greenhouse

Products mentioned:
Dahlia variabilis 'Bishop's Children': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-bishops-children
Geum 'Totally Tangerine': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/geum-totally-tangerine
Dahlia ‘Sarah Raven’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-sarah-raven
Dahlia ‘Lou Farman’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-lou-farman Buddleia alternifolia: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/buddleia-alternifolia
Dahlia ‘Blue Bayou’: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/dahlia-blue-bayou
Verbena bonariensis: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/verbena-bonariensis
Verbena officinalis var. grandiflora 'Bampton': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/verbena-officinalis-var-grandiflora-bampton
Verbena rigida: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/verbena-rigida
Panicum miliaceum 'Violaceum': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/panicum-violaceum
Nemaslug - Biological Slug Control: https://www.sarahraven.com/products/nemaslug-biological-slug-control

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: [email protected]

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Welcome to the November Q&A episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, where Sarah & Josie answer questions sent in by our lovely listeners each month. 

In this episode, Sarah answers timely questions on forced bulbs and whether it’s too late to plant them now for Christmas, as well as the things you can still sow at this time of year. Meanwhile, Josie gives us a crash course on bare root plants, and what’s currently being planted at Perch Hill, which might inspire your own planting this November.

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: [email protected]

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Please be aware: This episode contains sensitive discussion about animal death and stillbirth, which some may find upsetting.

Seasonality is a powerful quality in any recipe, to which the abundance of delicious culinary ideas in Julius Roberts’ new book ‘The Farm Table’ is perfect testament.

We explore Julius’ journey as a chef, farmer, grower and author on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ this week, in an episode bound to inspire you with a renewed outlook on cooking, and a fresh appreciation for the work that brings a successful plate together.

In this episode, discover:

The most invaluable lessons that Julius learned from his training at the renowned London restaurant, Noble Rot  The greatest joys and most challenging emotional struggles of ‘nature first’ farming

• How cooking makes us human, and why seasonality should be a central pillar to the food we grow and cook 
• The very best recipes from ‘The Farm Table’, such as Julius’ fan-favourite Tarragon Roast Chicken and a lamb dish that champions the joy of humble Swiss Chard

Products mentioned:
Swiss Chard 'Lucullus': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/chard-lucullus

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: [email protected]

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

November signals a real turn in the weather, and this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat arrange’ is a perfect collation of all the jobs you should consider to prepare your garden for the impending season.

Sarah gives a rundown of the tasks at the top of her mind, from sowing pea tips and lovely scented sweet peas, to preparing paperwhite narcissus for planters.

Elsewhere in the garden, Josie nudges us to prepare your soil for winter, and to prune your roses to protect them from the elements in the months to come.

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: [email protected]

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest