The humble pond is a staggering ecosystem in itself, and supports much of the creatures surrounding it, making any garden pond a wonderful place for wildlife to thrive.

Steve Head returns to the podcast this week with a rousing call to action for us all to create our own ponds, great or small. He shares the value they bring, why one shouldn’t be concerned about a pond’s size, and the gorgeous array of flora and fauna that a pond can introduce.

In this episode, discover:

• The essential value that ponds bring to both the ecosystem within them, and the wildlife that uses them
• How to design a charming pond that best serves wildlife of all varieties
• Whether your pond drying out is a problem to be prevented, or actually part of a useful cycle

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Welcome back to the latest in our exciting new Q&A podcast episodes, where Sarah and Josie share their expertise on your top gardening queries.

This time round, we’re looking at whether it’s safe to move a well-established peony tree without damaging it, and Josie’s curious new revelation for the perfect number of bulbs in any sized container.

Get involved with future episodes by posing Sarah and Josie your questions - just pop us a message on the podcast review pages, email or our social media posts, and keep an eye (or ear!) out for Sarah’s response in these regular Q&A episodes.

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Rural life in a farming home owes a great deal to the unsung work of those who support it behind the scenes, a fact that’s captured beautifully in Helen Rebanks’ new book, The Farmer’s Wife.

Sarah chats with Helen this week to hear some of the stories woven from the wider farming community’s work, and a few of the book’s recipes, which follow Helen’s refreshingly honest and simple cooking style.

In this episode, discover:

• The inception of Helen’s passion for great, simple recipes
• Helen’s many touching stories from the book that detail the incredible influence of others in the local farming community
• How Helen found adoration for the lifestyle of a farmer’s wife, being an utterly vital part of any farming home

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

In the early months of the year, gardeners are faced with particularly challenging weather conditions, requiring care and attention to keep your garden thriving through the frost and snow.

This episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ centres around the things you can do to keep your garden glowing amid the battering winds and relentless rain - Josie Lewis joins Sarah to share her top tips.

In this episode, discover:

• Why moderate snowfall can actually be useful for protecting against frost
• How to protect roses from wind-rock
• Essential pot care through periods of intense rainfall
• The benefit of not clearing the garden too much in autumn

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

We’re excited to bring a new regular series to grow, cook, eat, arrange in 2024 enabling you to ask questions directly to Sarah.

Just pop us a message on the podcast review pages, email or our social media posts, and keep an eye (or ear!) out for Sarah’s response in our regular Q&A episodes.

In this first edition, Josie joins Sarah to answer the best way of growing sweet peas and why shrubs and hedges have become so popular in recent years. 

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Our gardens, humble as they may seem, are among the country’s most important havens for biodiversity, and there are few greater champions for biodiversity than Dr Steve Head.

Steve joins Sarah on this podcast episode alongside Adam Nicolson to share how the intermediate level of disturbance that we naturally give our gardens makes them so wonderful for wildlife.

In this episode, discover:

• How Sarah met Steve, and the revelations that he continues to provide her about wildlife at Perch Hill and beyond
• The various reasons that gardens are so good for cultivating biodiversity
• What you’re doing for biodiversity when you dig up your ground, and how to know that you’re digging too much or too little
• The inspiration that Steve derives from a long time heroine of his, Jennifer Owen
• Why we should all care about insects, pollinators, and our impact on biodiversity

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Join Sarah Raven and Perch Hill’s Head Gardener, Josie to create your very own check list of gardening jobs to tackle in January. 

Whether you’re planning your gardening goals for the New Year, or need inspiration to get outside during the winter months, this short, digestible episode provides practical advice on making the most of your outdoor space in January. 

Sarah and Josie discuss covering rhubarb, pruning fruit trees, sowing early vegetables, order bulbs and cleaning greenhouses and much more!

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Join Sarah Raven and Arthur Parkinson as they reflect upon what they cherished most in their gardens this year, and what they’ll explore in 2024 - from sowing more stunning sweet peas, to taking a wonderfully wildlife-focused view on the garden.

In this episode of grow, cook, eat, arrange you’ll discover:

• Sarah and Arthur’s New Year Resolution.
• The simple pleasure of gardening for health & wellbeing
• Arthur’s joy of sweet peas. 
• Sarah and Adam’s plans to increase biodiversity at Perch Hill

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Welcome back to “grow, cook, eat, arrange” and a very Merry Christmas to you all!  In this festive episode, Sarah welcomes back Arthur Parkinson to dive into the enchanting world of Christmas decorating. 

They offer a plethora of creative ideas to bring warmth and joy to your home during the winter months. 

In this episode, discover:

• Arthur’s clever use of mirror to double the impact of your decor
• Sarah’s creative use of Allium heads as Christmas tree ornaments
• How to create a unique scent using natural ingredients from the garden
• Techniques for forcing hyacinths indoors to ensure a longer flowering period
• Sarah & Arthur’s own Christmas seasonal plans! 

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

This episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ is one for the rose-lovers at a time when it’s ideal to start pruning, and there are few voices better suited to weigh in on roses than our own Josie Lewis.

Josie joins Arthur this week, as we hear her top tips on growing and pruning, the benefits of companion planting, which varieties have been standout favourites among Josie’s trials, and much more.

In this episode, discover:

• How to tackle the pruning of shrub roses like Timeless Purple and Hot Chocolate
• Distinguishing features to help tell climbers apart from ramblers
• Sources of inspiration for Perch Hill’s rose garden
• Which flowers are fantastic for preventing black spot on your roses when companion planting together
• The standout varieties that Josie enjoys most, from the timeless series to short climbers like ‘Scent from Heaven’

Get in touch: [email protected]
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeu
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/
Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest